A Land Of Snow
by Squid789
Summary: A group or researchers are ambushed just beyond the Skyrim border. An Imperial woman is left to continue the work of her predecessor and find a reason to live again. A company of warriors are desperate for guidance as an aging leader begins to leave. There is no mercy in a land of snow. Previously posted on AO3 under the same title and username
1. Chapter 1

Valleri could do nothing but scream. A steel toed boot collided with her side as two other bandits watched on from the distance. They laughed, two deep voices resonating while the third was the throaty cackle of an Argonian. Blood sputtered from her mouth and onto the ground after the bandits had stopped beating her. If her hands weren't bound, Valleri probably would have tried to squirm away. She had already lost the fight.

The one wearing the cursed boots finally knelt down, coming face to face with Valleri. He was smiling, eyes wide and crazed. His mouth was moving but whatever he was talking about was inaudible. Valleri could only pick up pieces of the conversation but nothing she could bring herself to care about. Out of the corner of her eye, however, she could see a bloody trail and the Argonian dragging a heavy, blanket wrapped object. Valleri felt nothing suddenly, not the bruised ribs or the sprained wrist or the bleeding gash on her face.

Only one thing made it to the surface of her mind.

She was going to die.

There was no panic or wriggling as the Nord in front of her brought out a rusty knife. If that was what he was going to end her with, then so be it. There was no sign of her friends anywhere nor anyone coming to help. If she was going to die she may as well do so with as much pride as she could. Valleri tried to garble out a curse as the knife moved in slow motion. Finally, the blade was pushing into her neck.

Her eyes scrunched closed and then… nothing.

When Valleri fell to the ground, she could hear the Nord being called by the others. The knife had been pulled away from her bare skin and she allowed herself to breath as he walked off. Valleri could only barely register the bandits in the distance now. Every time she breathed in her lungs burned. Was the sun beginning to set or was she finally passing out?

It didn't matter now. The bandits were gone. Her friends were gone. But she was not gone.

Sleep finally took her as everything went black.

…

Waking up was as painful as Valleri thought it would be. Everything hurt and the smell what Valleri presumed to be her own blood was quickly becoming nauseating. It took her what seemed to be forever to work up the courage to pull herself up from the dirt.

It was dark now, stars littered the night sky and Valleri was able to make out a constellation here or there. But with the night came the cold. Her fingers were numb and stiff. Valleri could feel a light layer of frost forming on her forearms. The bandits probably took everything she had, including anything that could keep the imperial woman warm. Even if they did, Valleri was too sore to check. Slowly she crawled her way to the closest tree and huddled at the base. Teeth chattering, she brought her knees up to her chest. Even if it only gave an illusion of warmth keeping herself in wouldn't give the wolves something easy to chew on.

Valleri allowed herself one final look at the sky before leaning her head back against the trunk of the tree. Masser and Secunda were now beginning their descent into the horizon. Morning would arrive soon. Her eyes shut slowly and she breathed out unsteadily. Valleri would sleep and if she didn't wake up that was fine. She didn't give a shit anymore. The dull pain in her side flared up each time she breathed and her side felt like it was on fire. Her friends were more likely dead than alive and her reason for coming to this blasted province was gone.

It didn't matter if she woke up, it didn't matter.

…

There were voices in the background, but that was the only thing Valleri could acknowledge. Her eyes fluttered open barely; sun light and leaf litter took up most of her vision. She must have fallen over while she slept during the night. Her arm was trapped underneath her side while she laid huddled on the ground. The sun was blinding but Valleri tried desperately keep her sore eyes open.

The owners of the voices had started to come closer. Their footsteps crunched on the forest floor then stopped next to her side. One of them crouched down then said in a clear, deep voice, "You think she's even alive?"

The second voice, soft and womanly, spoke, "I don't think so. Would it matter anyhow?"

"If she's dead we should at least bury her. Last rights and all that."

"Fine. Let's do what you want. We always do what you want. Especially when that fence is still broken."

There was a light tap on her arm as the man Valleri had now decided the voice belonged to spoke, "Oh don't be like that. Poor lady died before her time. I'll carry her."

The man bent over and slipped a hand underneath her ribcage, causing Valleri to jolt with pain. The man jumped back to his companion and started muttering in low tones. Valleri groaned and tried to face him but with no luck.

"Shit! We've got to get her home. You wait here; I'll get a cart." The woman said before running the way she came. The man, recomposed and calm, made his way back to Valleri. He laid a hand on her arm before reassuring her that she was safe. Valleri would have sighed with relief but the pain emanating from her side was almost too much.

Valleri didn't know how long the man had kept her company before the woman arrived with the cart. She could hear the woman disembark and rush to the man to mutter something in hurried voice. Once again, Valleri had begun to fade back into unconsciousness and couldn't register their conversation. Slowly the man picked her up, mindful of her side and put her in the back of the cart. The wood was hard on Valleri's back, but much more comfortable. Leaf litter wasn't poking her awkwardly and the woman sat in the back with her so she wouldn't be jostled during the ride back to where the two strangers had come from. The ride was shorter than Valleri had anticipated and the sun seemed to be at its peak in the sky. The cart stopped with lurch in a clearing. In the distance there was a small cabin and a windmill; clearly these people were the only ones that lived this far out in the middle of nowhere. The man once again took hold of Valleri and rushed into the house.

The interior of the cabin was dark and warm. Inside was a single room with a table and hearth at one end and a bed at the other. The man all but tossed Valleri onto the bed then went to the hearth to begin boiling water. Meanwhile, the woman threw open the windows to let in the light then rushed over to the bed. She tore open the side of Valleri's shirt to examine her side then gasped.

"Shor's bones! She's all purple." The woman's fingers grazed over her ribs to start a more thorough inspection. The bones burned and pulsated as the woman felt for fractures. "She's got a broken rib. I'm gonna need a sheet."

"Watch the water; I'll be back." Valleri could hear heavy footsteps exit the house and felt the woman take hold of her hand. It was soft, not like the burly fingers of the man when he carried her into the cabin. She whispered in low tones and a warm feeling filled the room. Valleri faded into unconsciousness once again.

…

Valleri woke up in the cabin once again; sunlight was pouring through the window and the hearth was dying down. Looking down, Valleri had expected to see her blood stained, tattered clothes, but instead found herself dressed in an old night gown. No blood, no dirt. Only the softness of the sun light and blankets.

She ran her hand over her side absentmindedly, feeling a break in a rib. She winced as the fingers brushed over her skin. That was inconvenient. Slowly, her fingers moved upwards, feeling for a gash on her left cheek. The wound had scabbed over now and was promising to scar. One of the only things she could remember clearly was the Nord's face as he sliced deep into her face. The expression was sadistic; eyes wide and a toothy grin from ear to ear. The gash was dry now and starting to scab over. It was long, starting a few inches left of her eye and ending just above her jaw. Valleri sighed when she thought about the new scar.

She looked around the room and saw an open door outside, sunlight pouring into the room form there as well. Shuffling out the bed, Valleri stumbled forward onto the floor. She held onto the wall for balance; but her legs were shaky and it was going to time to get her strength back. The door wasn't far off and it had only taken a second to reach it. Valleri paused to catch her breath. The fresh air hit her like a hammer; it was cool and damp, the light was mottled on the ground as it passed through the trees. In the distance was the windmill Valleri had spotted when she arrived. Opposite of the windmill was a vegetable garden with chickens. Two people were working in the garden, presumably the man and woman who had taken her in. Valleri watched them for a few minutes before the woman took notice of her.

"Jalfi! She's awake!" the woman shook the man by the shoulder before rushing out of the garden. She met Valleri at the door and took her by the shoulder, a soft expression of concern washing over her face. "Are you okay? What's your name?"  
Valleri stared at her for what seemed like forever before blinking back into reality. "Where am I?"  
"You're safe now. That's all that matters. Come on inside and I'll get you something to eat." The woman led her back into the cabin, draping Valleri's arm over her shoulder for extra support. The woman cautiously sat her down at the end of the table and went to the hearth to begin cooking. The man came in only a short time after, kicking his boots free of any heavy grime that had collected while he was in the field. He took a seat on the bench next to Valleri. The woman was the first to speak, still cutting up vegetables and meat to put into her soup, "You've been out for almost two days. My name is Helgi and that's my husband Jalfi," She gestured towards the man sitting at the table, "He's the one who found and insisted we bring you back. You're lucky we even found you out there." The woman poured her ingredients into a pot hanging above the hearth then came to sit next Jalfi, "Now, what's your name and what can you remember?"  
"Two days?" Valleri looked around the room for a moment, "Has it really been two days?"

"Yes, what's your name?"  
"Oh! Valleri," she looked at Helgi, "My name is Valleri."

"All right, Valleri, where are you from?"

"Cyrodiil."

Jalfi furrowed his eye brows and stared hard at Valleri with anticipation. "Are you with the legion?"

"What?"

"I'm asking if you're with the legion. I apologize, but I don't want any soldiers in my home. It only brings trouble."

Valleri shook her head, "I'm not with the legion. In fact, my friends and I didn't even come through the main gate."

"Why are you here then?" Jalfi's scowl deepened as Valleri went silent.

Helgi looked at her husband and laid a hand on his shoulder. The attempt to calm him down was ineffective, but Jalfi didn't move to speak again. Helgi looked back to Valleri then spoke with an even voice, "We're farmers. There's not much we can do out here in the middle of nowhere."

Valleri quickly found Helgi's meaning and paused. Her eyebrows furrowed together and she quickly muttered, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to offend you. I came here with a small group of researchers."

"Ah. What happened to them?"

"We were ambushed by bandits shortly after we entered Skyrim. I'm guessing they're probably dead," Valleri felt her throat tighten as she recalled the events that led up to the present. Memories of metal clanging and the smell of blood crawled at the edge of her mind. They were still too fresh. "I don't remember too much about the attack itself. Only that it was two Nords and an Argonian."

Jalfi replaced his scowl with a more concerned look, "That could be anyone." Helgi nodded momentarily and got up to check on the pot behind her. Satisfied, she took three bowls from a shelf nearby and filled them with the stew.

"Here, Valleri, eat this. You're in need of nourishment if you're going to recover nicely." Helgi insisted in her soft, calming voice as she placed a bowl in front of the Imperial. Valleri looked at the stew in the bowl before eating it. There were potatoes and leeks in the stew with warm bits of meat here and there. She felt the broth going down her throat as her body began to warm up. The taste was bland, but Valleri was hungry enough to eat anything. Helgi smiled contentedly as she watched Valleri eat.

Jalfi was already finished with his portion as he started talking once again. "You said you came with a group of researchers? Maybe those bandits were after what ever your group was searching for?"

Valleri shook her head, "No, that's not likely. My group was looking into some obscure stuff. Even people in Cyrodiil wouldn't know much about it."

"A random attack then."

Valleri looked down at the empty bowl in front of her then sighed, "This is just great though. My first foray into Skyrim and I get attacked by bandits. I feel like such a fool."

"You're not a fool. Things are only so chaotic right now because of the war.

"Right."

"How hard do you think it'll be to track them down?"

"Difficult, especially when you're not familiar with the territory. Winter will be coming soon as well." Jalfi answered and leaned forward onto the table, hand resting on his chin.

"The Companions could probably help." Helgi quipped before moving to collect the bowls.

"Who?"

"A warrior band based out of Whiterun. They pride themselves on being the best fighters in the province."

"You think they'll actually help me?"

Jalfi shrugged, "Maybe, probably."

Valleri could almost feel the hope welling up in her chest for the first time since the ambush. Her heart pounded against her chest and she forgot about the dull ache in her side. Maybe, just maybe.

Helgi stared at the two figures sitting at her kitchen table. Valleri's eyes were wide with anticipation, but Helgi could remember the shape they had found the poor woman in. She gave her pot a sharp tap with a wooden soon to get their attention. Surprised, both Valleri and Jalfi jolted and looked at the woman by the hearth. "Valleri, I get that you want to go after those men right now, but you're still in no shape to even be leaving the house for too long. Your rib is broken; it'll take at least four weeks to heal," Helgi paused to sigh, "I'm not gonna let you go all the way to Whiterun until I know you can at least walk without falling over."

"Wait," Valleri looked back to Jalfi next to her, careful to avoid the disapproving eyes of Helgi, "How far is Whiterun? Do you have a map?"

Jalfi laughed a bit, "Now that's funny, lass! Whiterun is about a week away by foot if you were in a hurry."

"Where are we now?"

"We're in western Falkreath hold. And don't even think about leaving yet." Helgi said from her spot by the hearth. Her eyes narrowed as she glared at Valleri across the small room.

Valleri's expression went serious as she began thinking about the bandits and her friends, "Soon though. I need to know what happened to my group. I want vengeance." Jalfi and Helgi stared at the woman, a calm, sure figure, sitting at their table. Valleri seethed quietly, barely moving.

Soon.


	2. Chapter 2

The sun wouldn't rise over the tree tops for several hours. Crickets called to each over back in forth and torch bugs lit up the night like candles floating in the air. Every few minutes a wolf would howl. He too was probably calling to his companions prowling in the night.

Valleri looked outside of the window once more as she finished buckling her belt. A small bag of food was prepared early in the evening for the trip north to Whiterun. Her boots and trousers had been mended some days ago with Helgi's help, but Valleri still had to borrow the woman's spare tunic. It was an ill fit since Heli was both taller and broader than Valleri, but it would have to make due until she could find another one.

Quietly, Valleri moved towards the door; steps were placed daintily on the cabin's squeaky floorboards. The woman winced as the floor groaned momentarily. She stayed as still as possible, hand over her mouth to quiet her breathing. Helgi, still laying in the bed, didn't move. Where Jalfi was Valleri couldn't have known. Grabbing a grey cloak off the wall peg, Valleri opened the door and stepped out. The night was cooler than she anticipated, but nothing the Imperial couldn't handle.

"And where do you think you're going?"

Valleri spun on her heel to see Jalfi emerging from the side of the cabin, still dressed in his sleeping clothes. He crossed his arms as he stopped to face her. Valleri sighed and looked straight at him. Green eyes bore into Jalfi's dark brown ones, "I can't stay here too much longer. I'm sorry but I must leave."

"I know. I'm sure Helgi knows too, but she won't accept it."

"She'll have to."

"Aye, she will," There was a long pause between the two. Guilt rushed into a pit at the bottom of Valleri's stomach, a sickening, black feeling. Jalfi smiled, finally breaking the silence, "let me at least give you this; it's dangerous out there." He gave her a small cloth wrapped package. Valleri unwrapped the cloth slowly, revealing a dagger. Runes had been carved into the blade and dark, worn leather was wrapped around the hilt. She looked up and wordlessly shook her head in protest.

Jalfi laughed loudly before looking back at the astonished woman in front of him, "Valleri, it's a gift! Don't worry about me and Helgi; we're Nords! We have at least two of those lying around and who said a plain old ax never killed anybody?"

"Right." Recomposed, Valleri slipped the dagger into her belt. She glanced down to the path leading to the main road then back to Jalfi. His arms were crossed against his chest and was looking right her again. "Thank you, Jalfi, thank you for everything. Tell Helgi I'll miss her and will try to be back when this mess is over."

Jalfi smiled wide again and nodded, "I will. Now you better get going before Helgi wakes up and hears that you're going."

Valleri smiled again as she took one last look at the little cabin and windmill before turning around again to make her way down the path. Torch bugs lit up the night like candles and the moonlight lit up the path in front of her. Valleri's breathing hitched as she realized she would probably never see this place again.

…

Valleri sat at a small table in the back of the main room of the Sleeping Giant Inn in Riverwood. The room was much larger than she had anticipated, but warm enough to ward of the cold that came with the dark nights of Skyrim. Only having a cloak for warmth wasn't as smart she thought initially; Valleri was more accustomed to the warm climate of southern Cyrodiil.

Riverwood itself was a small and unassuming by Valleri's standards. She had arrived to the village in late evening when people were beginning to unwind from their day. The mill on the far side next to the river had been quiet and the forge next to it had become cool. The stillness had left Valleri unnerved. Something about the lack of walls around the village or the two craggy mountains on either side made her feel watched. A ruin perched on one side above the village seemed to condescendingly watch over the village. The structure was stark black against the snow on the mountain and Valleri was strangely entranced by the ornate porch that laid before the entrance of the ruin. Valleri didn't feel drawn towards the ruin; instead she felt as if the ruin was a place she shouldn't go into. Shortly after this strange interaction, Valleri had decided to place the thought in the back of her mind and not worry about it again.

People had been filtering in and out of the inn throughout the evening and from what she could tell, it was dark outside now. Many people were most likely asleep. The bard that had kept her company most of the evening had already retired to wherever he had come from and the barkeep that she spoken to earlier had left his post. Her only company now was the owner of the inn, an older, intimidating woman that had rented Valleri a room. The two of them had barely spoken two words to each other after Valleri had given a ring she pulled off a dead traveler as payment for the room. The woman narrowed her eyes in confusion but had didn't make a move to decline the ring. Instead she had told Valleri there was an open bed in the left room.

The woman sat next to Valleri after wiping off a nearby table. She watched her from the corner of her eye, lips barley contorting into a disapproving scowl. Valleri didn't bother to look back and continued to draw circles on a small stool next to her with a finger.

"You haven't touched your drink in hours. Is something wrong?"

Valleri shook her head, "No, just thinking."

"Anything in particular?"

"Not really," Valleri lied, voice sharper than she had meant. "I think I'd like to be left alone for a little while more."

The woman shrugged, sighing all the while, "Sorry," the inn keeper paused, "It's sort of my job to know what people in my inn are up too."

The two women stared at each other for a minute before they heard a blood curdling scream from outside. The inn keeper ran out side to check what had happened, followed by Valleri moments later. It was dark outside apart from some lamps posted along the main road running through the village. Despite this, Valleri watched on as a woman ran from the general store a few feet away. The inn keeper ran to the screaming woman to calm her down, taking her by the shoulders and begin yelling in a similar fashion. Valleri rushed towards the door of the store only to met by several hooded men. They had weapons drawn and were ready to fight their way out of the village if need be.

There was only a moment of hesitation between them and Valleri before the thieves took action to leave the building. Valleri lost her footing as they rushed out and started falling backwards. Before her back contacted the ground, she took hold of the belt of one of the thieves and held on tightly. The sudden weight had brought the man down hard on his face. Instantly Valleri pounded the back of his neck as hard as she could with her fist, putting most of her weight into the hit. He groaned and didn't move again, leaving Valleri to take his sword and run off after the others. The other men, four in total, were running away quickly towards the bridge at the other side of the village. Valleri caught up to a straggler and slashed down as hard as she could. The man fell with a scream. Valleri pressed a knee firmly on his back. Blood seeped through the cape and into her trousers. Tossing the sword aside, Valleri retrieved her dagger and brought it swiftly across the man's throat. More blood quickly pooled on the cobblestones as Valleri turned around without so much as another thought.

By now a crowd was forming around the entrance of the store and the screaming woman was now only sobbing. The man she taken down was now sitting up, hands bound behind his back. He was cursing under his breath.

The inn keeper walked forwards to meet Valleri, concern written all over her face as she scowled. "How many got away?"

Valleri breathed outwards, still out of breath, "Three of them. They're on their way to that temple on the mountain. I killed one of them. What happened?"

A short man stepped away from the crowd a bit to address the women. He was snarling, face flushed despite the cold and hands balled up in tight fists. "My property was stolen was what. Those fuckers are dead, you hear me? Dead!"

Valleri watched the man begin to address the others, still furiously yelling, "Must have been important."

The inn keeper nodded in agreement, "Some sort of golden trinket he had out on display. What a fool. I kept telling him it'd get stolen and now look."

The man was now approaching Valleri directly. He stopped just a few feet away then said in a much calmer voice, "You're the one who took out those two dogs, right?" Valleri sighed and nodded her head. His face relaxed, "I'll offer you two hundred and fifty gold pieces if you could go up there and get my claw back. Extra if you just off them all."

Valleri grimaced, "I'm gonna have to decline. I may have killed one, but that doesn't mean I'm following them and get revenge for you. I'm sorry."

The man breathed out slowly before attempting to ask her again, "Fine, five hundred even."

Valleri's eyes widened, "Did you not hear me? I'm not going up to that blasted ruin. It doesn't matter how much gold you offer; I'm not going up there."

"What will convince you then?"

"Absolutely nothing! I'm supposed to be in Whiterun tomorrow morning. I can't be there if I'm dead in an old tomb for who knows what." Valleri almost yelled. She straightened her back and shoulders and continued to stare at the man standing in front of her. Finally, he stormed off back to his shop, grumbling curses all the while.

Valleri looked up to the ruin, almost invisible in the night, then went back to corpse to pick up the stray sword she had used earlier. In one fluid motion she wiped the blade with the corpse's cloak before taking his sheath to store it in. After a final glance at the ruin, she went back inside the inn. This was going to be a restless night

…

The old man had been sitting in the chair for what seemed to be hours now. Masser was at its peak, directly in front of him and illuminating his surroundings with a pale light. The old man leaned back as he surveyed the training yard in front of him. There was weaponry scattered here and there; swords had been left on the bench while spare arrows were still stuck in the target boards in the distance. Above that was the forge, a red glow still present at this time of night.

Behind him, the old man heard a door open and close as another made his way to keep the old man company. The new comer was still dressed in his armor, moonlight glinting off polished metal. His hair, black and choppy, hung in front of his face and charcoal had been smeared underneath his eyes. He slouched forward in exhaustion and didn't speak to the older man next to him.

"I assume you are uninjured." The old man muttered without breaking his watch over the night sky.

"Aye"

"You should rest then."

"Not tired; probably won't be for sometime yet." His companion answered in a monotone voice, rubbing his hands against his temples.

The young man didn't say anything more, just stared up at the sky to see if there was anything worth looking for. The old man only glanced over, "Do you ever feel as if something is ever rushing towards you?"

"What?"

The old man looked back up to Masser, "Something is coming. I can feel it in my bones, in my blood."

The young man grimaced as he watched his older companion. "Does it have something to do with what you told the others today?"

"No, I do not believe so. It feels entirely different. It is coming though.

The younger man's grimace fell into a faint smile and he looked down at ground. "That only means we'll have to be ready for it then."


	3. Chapter 3

There was already a commotion in the main hall as Valleri entered Jorrvaskr. People were yelling and cheering as two others, a Dunmer and a woman started throwing blows at each other. Valleri grimaced; any expectations she had of a highly ordered fighting unit was thrown to the wind.

She lingered by the door a few moments longer before a hulking man approached her. He was smiling widely with dark, long hair braided back to keep it out of his face. Valleri relaxed slightly as he greeted her warmly, "Are you here to join?"

"Uh… no," Valleri glanced around the room, gaze focusing on the crowd at the far side of room. "Is there someone in charge maybe? I have something I need to discuss with them if so."  
The man stared blankly at her for a moment, as if something she said was indescribably confusing. Suddenly, his eyes lit up and he smiled again, "Oh right! You'll want Kodlak for that! He's the Harbinger"

The man didn't say anything more, just stared at her with a grin. Valleri furrowed her eyebrows in frustration, "Do you know where he is?"

"Yeah, he's the old man down the stairs at your right. I should probably warn you though; my brother is down there with him. He's not known for being warm with strangers."

Valleri frowned as she started to turn around, "Thanks for the warning."

"No problem."

The man's words of encouragement did nothing for Valleri as she descended the stairs he directed her too. The door at the bottom felt heavier than it should have and her heart began to pound against her chest as she stared at the knob. It was burnished iron, but her hand was too warm to notice the cold feeling of the metal. Valleri steadied her breathing before turning the knob and walking into the lower floor. The barracks, as they appeared to be, were much warmer than upstairs. Valleri assumed this was because it was built partially underground like the buildings in Bruma she was familiar with. There was long, straight hallway with bunk rooms splitting away. Many of them had multiple beds while others were far more decorated and meant for a single person. At the far end of the hall was a final, ornately decorated room.

Two men were conversing in low tones at a table in the far corner. Valleri paused before entering the room to get a good look at them. The man on the right was older, grey hair brushed back, and calmly listening to his companion. That one must have been the brother the man upstairs had warned her about, even from a distance his gaze was intimidating. Eyebrows were furrowed with what Valleri could only guess was concern. Valleri began to eavesdrop on their conversation. They were talking about blood and honor. The hair on her arm stood up as she realized this was a conversation she shouldn't be listening to.

The old man hushed his friend then smiled lazily, "We've company," He looked at Valleri down the hall way and beckoned her to come closer. "And who may you be?"

Valleri's palms began to sweat as she strode forward. Both men stared at her as she entered the room. "Valleri. Are you Kodlak? I was told that you were the leader here."

"That I am."

Valleri internally sighed in relief then reminded herself this was no time to appear relaxed. "I was wondering if I could convince you to take a job for me?"

"What sort of job?"

"I need help taking care of a group of bandits." Valleri paused to steady herself then continued, "They murdered my friends."

"There's more to this isn't there?" Kodlak looked Valleri up and down. "You're a smart woman, you wouldn't come all the way here if you did not a purpose to."

"You're right. I don't have any payment; however, I was think-"

"Wait, wait, wait," the younger man next to Kodlak shook his head and frowned, cutting off Valleri. She groaned as he continued, "Are you really just going to help this lady get revenge?"

Kodlak stared at his friend in slight disbelief, "Listen first; she hasn't finished." He nodded at her to continue.

"I would propose that I work off my debt with the Companions. I would like to believe I have a half decent sword arm."  
"You're not from here I take it?"  
"Not at all. My friends and I were ambushed shortly after arriving from Cyrodiil. Why do you ask?"

"No reason," Kodlak looked at the floor and pondered the idea for a moment, "Why did your group come to Skyrim?"  
"We were researchers who had reason to believe that there was an Ayleid artifact hidden somewhere in Skyrim."

"Do you still wish to find this artifact?"  
"Any notes or leads we had brought with us were probably destroyed when we were attacked. I hate it but there's probably no point anymore."

Kodlak paused again. The man next to him looked on in anticipation. He had definitely been frowning with narrowed eyes as Valleri had answered Kodlak's questions. The thought of rejection made Valleri sick, but there was a clear possibility that was how this might end.

"I believe there is still more to your story than what you have told us. However, as it stands, Valleri, I will accept your proposition."

Valleri breathed out with relief quietly mouthing a quick thanks to Dibella. The other man didn't hide his disappointment as he stared at Kodlak with his mouth agape. He turned to look at Valleri, blue eyes narrowed as he looked the Imperial woman in front of him. She took notice and lengthened her spine and smirked; anything to let him know there was nothing he could do. Kodlak, oblivious to Valleri and his friend's interactions, looked over to the man next to him, "Vilkas, why don't you see what she's made of?"  
"Aye," The man stood up from his chair then walked out of the room past Valleri. He looked over his shoulder as she turned around, "Follow me newcomer or I'll leave without you."

Valleri hurried behind him with a grimace. She had sinking feeling as she left the room. With the way the man had thought about her proposition in the first place, the test may not go so well.

…

The training yard was behind the main hall of Jorrvaskr. Most of the warriors Valleri had seen earlier were still inside. Whatever they were doing was beyond her. Vilkas stopped shortly after they stepped outside and turned around to address her, "You said you had a half decent sword arm?"

"I'd like to think so."

"Well good, otherwise this would be a waste of time. You got a blade?"

"Yeah," Valleri pulled it out of the scabbard at her side and handed it to Vilkas who had his hand out.

He looked at the sword briefly then held it out in front of him. He grimaced a bit before handing it back to Valleri, "That is a really shit sword. Where'd you get it?"

"I pulled it off a thief two days ago."

"Should have figured." He moved form under the awning covering a raised patio to the middle of the training yard. He waved Valleri over, "C'mon, take a few hits. I could take pretty much anything you can throw at me."

Valleri strode up and took a fighting stance. Steadying herself, she took a swing at his left arm. Her wrist burned as her grip on the hilt of her sword tightened. Vilkas blocked the blow easily. He went for her side. The tip of his sword caught her as she stepped away. Her side began to throb. She swung for his back. Her blow connected and he turned around to face her. His sword arced towards her shoulder. She crouched forwards to swing and the blade contacted with his side. Valleri stepped backwards and Vilkas bent forward slightly. She raised her sword slightly and brought down on his shoulder. Before Valleri's blade made it to his target, Vilkas hit her hard in her side. Valleri felt a sudden jolt of pain when his sword hit her broken rib. Her free hand went to her side and she started breathing heavily. Valleri looked up suddenly, breath becoming uneven, and looked straight at Vilkas. Short hair fell into her face as she rushed towards him, sword raised far above her head. He stepped back and raised his own sword to meet hers. The impact of the blades produced a loud clang that rung in Valleri's ears as she stepped back to take another hit. She stalled to catch her breath allowing Vilkas to come forward and swing for her arm. She sidestepped to the right and went for his arm as well. He blocked, spurring Valleri to move to his other side. Once again, Vilkas moved forward and aimed for her chest. Valleri, tired and restless, knelt down and closed the gap between the two of them. She swung her blade for his abdomen at felt a connection. Vilkas moved backwards and swung for her side once more. Valleri had paused to catch her breath once more, allowing Vilkas' sword hit her rib again. She cursed loudly and the throbbing morphed into a sharp pain that made Valleri double over with a grimace.

"I guess that's where we stop."

Valleri looked up, eye brows raised and her mouth drawn back, "Wait, no. I can keep going."

"I bet you could, but that's not going to help anyone." Vilkas dropped his sword on the ground and approached Valleri. "When was the last time you got into a fight?"

"What?" Valleri collapsed onto the ground and breathed out. Hair was plastered to her face and her wrist and side burned.

"You got winded after I hit your side and your grip was all funny," He gestured to her wrist then crouched down n the ground next to her. "Either you're not in good shape or you're crap at this."

"Oh, shut up."  
"Right," Vilkas muttered as he finally met Valleri's eyes with his own. They were steely blue and piercing; intimidating enough for Valleri to feel even the slightest bit guilty. "When were you attacked?"

"Almost two weeks ago. I honestly don't see why that matters!"

"By oblivion, woman! You're a fucking liability. I'm taking you to Danica."

"What the hell?"

Valleri propped herself on her elbows as Vilkas got up and looked down at her expectantly. He sighed, "Danica's a healer. Kodlak's not gonna let you take any work if your wrist is broken or something. That's just not safe."  
"What do you mean safe? Like fighting bears or bandits is ever safe." Valleri complained from the ground. Her lungs were still painful but her wrist was beginning to go numb. Vilkas was still staring down at her, a hand now proffered to help her up. Valleri sighed and took it, "Fine. You win."

…

The two didn't speak as Vilkas led her to the temple on the other side of central plaza. Instead, Valleri took a better look at her surroundings; she had made her way straight to Jorrvaskr as soon as she entered the city. On her second time through however, she as able to take a second look at the giant dying tree that dominated the plaza. Perhaps the leaves fell as colder months approached.

Vilkas stopped and held the door open as they entered the temple. The interior was surprisingly light, not dark and musty like other temples Valleri had spent time in. there was a small shrine in the back of the room, while much of the space had been reserved for beds for the sick and injured. At the far left of the building was a small spring and wash basin for cleaning. There were no other people inside the building. Vilkas had gestured for Valleri to wait at the door while he went to search for Danica. He left her quickly and disappeared into another room. Curious, Valleri moved closer to the shrine in the back of the room. It was purple and in the shape of a vague looking acorn. Surprised, Valleri looked around the room once more. This was a temple of Kynareth.

Vilkas came back out a moment later with middle aged woman dressed in orange robes. She looked harried and tired as she disgruntledly followed the man towards Valleri. "Is this her?"

"Aye."

Valleri almost laughed; both of them sounded equally tired. Danica approached her as Vilkas stepped back. The priestess gave her a look before taking her by the shoulder, "She looks a bit scrawny, but I'm guessing that's normal. What's your name?"

"Valleri" she answered as she gave the priestess a confused look.

"Great," She moved towards one of the beds to her right and patted it, "Sit right here please."

Valleri did as she was told and folded her coat sleeve up to reveal her wrist. Danica took the arm and started prodding until Valleri winced in pain. Danica started to move Valleri's hand up and down, "You know Vilkas, this is the last time I'm doing this for you. I finally got a break and I'm spending it taking a look at some fool"

Valleri frowned internally as Danica continued her investigation. Vilkas moved closer to the two women, "Usually I would agree, but think of it as personal favor for Kodlak."

Danica finally smiled as she looked at Valleri's other arm for comparison, "Fine. Just this once though." She looked at Valleri, smile still on her face. "You're a new comer, right? Where are you from?

"Anvil," Valleri answered. Danica shot her a glance of confusion. Valleri laughed nervously, remembering that they were just as unfamiliar with anywhere outside of Skyrim as she was with anything inside. "It's a city on the Gold Coast south of the Imperial City."

Vilkas' eyes lit up momentarily but didn't say anything. Danica put Valleri's wrist down softly, "Cyrodiil, huh? That's far." She paused and turned back to Vilkas, "Her wrist is definitely sprained, but not broken. It'll take a while to heal but there won't be anything wrong after. You mentioned her side was injured as well?"

"The people who found me told me a rib was broken," Valleri quipped, catching the attention of her companions. Danica frowned as Vilkas sighed in either disappointment of frustration; it was beginning to become difficult for Valleri to tell which one it was.

"Pull off your tunic," Danica said unenthusiastically. She helped Valleri out of the overly large piece of clothing and urged her to lift her left arm up for the priestess to take a look. Vilkas continued to stand behind the older woman. She frowned as she took her first look at the giant bruises that were now coalesced around a singular area. The new cut from Vilkas' sword had stopped bleeding but a scab had yet to form

"When did this happen exactly?"

Valleri put her arm down and in a quiet, mumbled, "About two weeks ago."

"And you were sparring with Vilkas earlier? Any other fights?" the priestess asked as she palpated Valleri's rib.

Valleri paused and stared blankly at Danica. The older woman narrowed her eyes; she knew exactly what happened. "Last night; I got into a fight with some thieves. I don't remember being hurt, but my side has been throbbing ever since."

"I should have known." Danica turned back Vilkas. "You knew about this and still had a go at her?" she scolded, shaking her head slightly as the Nord took a step behind her.

"I honestly had no idea."

"Sure you didn't." Danica muttered under her breath. Vilkas looked down momentarily, reminding Valleri of a sad dog.

"He really didn't. I didn't think it was important enough to mention," Valleri said quickly. She grimaced and looked behind Danica to Vilkas. He had nervous look plastered on his face that probably mirrored Valleri's own expression.

"You're idiots, the both of you," Danica went to the left side of the room to grab a damp cloth. "Valleri, whatever you do, don't get into anymore fights for at least a week. The bone's still healing and I don't want it to moving out of place," Danica looked Valleri in the eyes as she paused cleaning up the cut. "Got it?"

Valleri nodded her head at the woman, words not coming to her suddenly. Danica finished cleaning up the wound and went back to the sink to wring out the cloth. Valleri slipped her tunic back on and clasped the belt a little looser than before.

"You two can leave now." Danica called out as she went to the other room Vilkas had found her in. Valleri slipped her coat on and followed Vilkas out the door. She was silent, pondering just what this meant for her search for the bandits that attacked her.

"Don't look so disappointed; its not like getting a late start will change anything." Vilkas said gruffly, not making any eye contact with Valleri. She didn't answer him only continued to look forward, brooding all the while. Vilkas had noticed and sighed, "Are you really that desperate?"

"Yes, I am."

"We'll find them then." Vilkas paused momentarily. He was looking forward towards Jorrvaskr. "If not now, then soon."

Valleri smiled a bit. Vilkas' encouragement was unexpected but welcome. Things were finally looking up.


	4. Chapter 4

Ysolda snipped the final thread hanging off the tunic before handing it back the woman sitting in front of her. Valleri inspected the piece of clothing; the yellow tunic had a small splatter of blood towards the bottom that had stained the cloth orange. Valleri grimaced momentarily then sighed, "I didn't even realize that was there."

The red head chuckled to herself, "When Farkas asked me for a favor this was the last thing I thought I'd be doing." Valleri began to slip the tunic back on as Ysolda gathered her sewing supplies and laid them in an old box sitting on the seat next to her. She stared at the Imperial woman beside her who was now slipping on a light over coat. As far as she knew, Valleri had yet to become comfortable after whatever circumstances led her to Whiterun. "How are you adjusting so far though? Farkas told me that people are still uneasy around you."

Valleri thought of the man momentarily, much larger than she was but still somehow very cheerful. "I guess, but I'm not really part of the Companions. The healer over at the temple put me on suspension last week."

"What for? You look fine to me."  
"Broken bone."  
Ysolda's eyes widened in understanding for a second, "Must have been serious." She paused and met Valleri's eyes again, "He also said that you weren't from here."  
Valleri furrowed her eyebrows as she looked back at Ysolda, "So that's getting around pretty quick then?" She sighed out and looked off into the distance before glancing back to Ysolda, "I'm form Cyrodiil, and yes, I'm an Imperial." Valleri's voice was tired and accusing, and the expression of disdain on her face amplified the unwelcoming tone in her voice.

Ysolda sat back with a slight look of shock, "Oh, sorry. I didn't mean to upset you."

"Wait! No, no. I didn't mean to sound so upset. It's just that you're the seventh person to ask me that since I've arrived." Valleri almost yelled, eyes widening and hands gesturing wildly.

Ysolda laughed, "It's no problem. I had the same issue when I came here as well." Valleri smiled a bit before turning around to finish clasping her belt. Behind them they could hear loud footsteps coming down the hall towards the bunkroom they were in. Valleri turned her head to greet the newcomer as Farkas entered the room.

"Vilkas and Kodlak are looking for you." His voice was gruff and this was the most serious Valleri had seen him. With out his trademark smile, Farkas began to resemble his brother.

"You know what for?"  
He shook his head, "Not really. Something about a job though."

Valleri met Ysolda's eyes and couldn't help but smile. "Finally," she muttered under her breath. She turned back to Farkas, "They're upstairs?"  
"Yep!" Farkas began to smirk a bit as he saw the enthusiasm in Valleri's expression. He turned to Ysolda, suddenly taking note that she was still sitting down on a near by chair, "You're still here?"  
Ysolda nodded her head a bit before getting up after Valleri left the room. "I'm just leaving. That was an interesting favor."  
Farkas rubbed the back of his head in mock frustration, "Yeah, sorry about that. Usually Tilma would do it, but she's out visiting relatives. Here, I'll walk you out."

Ysolda rolled her eyes before stopping next to the large man, "Thanks."

…

It was easy to spot the two of them in the training yard, but Valleri made no mad dash to reach them. She could feel the hairs on the back of her neck to stand up in anxiety. Valleri strode up to the two of them on the raised patio. They were already talking, this time less secretive than when she had first spoken with Kodlak. "Farkas said you wanted to see me?"  
The old man stared at her for a moment with slight confusion before realizing what she was saying. "I did, yes. We finally have work for you."  
"That's what he told me, didn't give me any details though."

"Nothing difficult. But think of this as my last assurance that you can handle yourself well enough to be a Companion," Kodlak said as he looked to Vilkas next to him. Valleri furrowed her eye brows in confusion. "Vilkas can give you the specifics. You'll be leaving shortly."

Valleri nodded without a word and rushed inside to grab her cloak and sword. Vilkas turned back to Kodlak. "You're serious about ignoring her request if this doesn't go well?"  
"Very." Kodlak grumbled as he looked over the warriors in the training yard. Most of them had been oblivious to their conversation and probably wouldn't have cared anyways. Kodlak glanced at the younger man form the corner his eye as he continued, "I believe she will do well, but she reminds me of you." Vilkas gave the old man an accusing look. "'Twas only an observation."

"She's reckless, I can already tell." Vilkas huffed as started to turn around to follow Valleri back into the main hall.

"I am not surprised; people who feel their backs are against a wall usually are. I only wish that you show that hers is not."

Vilkas grimaced as he opened the door and stepped inside. Valleri was already across the hall waiting for him. She was dressed in a light leather jerkin over her tunic. Vilkas stared with slight disappointment; this woman was crazy if she thought she could get away with being so lightly armored. He thought she would have learned lesson after those bandits had left her for dead. "I'll try," Vilkas muttered under his breath as the door closed.

…

The pair didn't speak as they left Whiterun. Valleri had felt tense as the man next to her continued to walk a foot or so ahead of her. Vilkas wore his scowl like a well-loved mask. Valleri was used to sour, rude looking people, but Vilkas had just seemed hostile. While she wasn't overtly friendly to her new compatriots save for Kodlak and Farkas, Vilkas seemed to go out of his way to avoid her entirely. Since their initial meeting, they had barely said two words to each other. Valleri didn't feel as though it was her right to judge him however; she only recently met the man and he did help her find medical help, even if it was forced.

Vilkas looked ahead as they passed the last gate leading out of the city. Mountains laid ahead of them towards the south, tall and intimidating. Snow blanketed the top of the mountain and Valleri shivered as she stared up at it. She almost paused as she noticed they were crossing the bridge to head to the road going south. Vague memories of her time in before arriving in Whiterun surfaced. Her stomach dropped as she hurried to catch up to her travel companion.

Vilkas turned back towards her, "You okay?"

Valleri hummed low as she came up to his side. "Yeah, I'm fine."

Vilkas muttered something in response then continued his trek up the road. They were coming into a hillier area and fir trees began to line the cobblestone paths.

It was sometime before any of them had said something, but Valleri was able to work up the nerve to ask about the what sort of job it was that she agreed to take on. She wasn't feeling well about being on the dark about what she was supposed to do. Vilkas turned around again and stared at her, "Nobody told you anything?"  
"Not at all," She narrowed her eyes as she looked back, "Kodlak said you were supposed to."

"Why didn't you ask earlier?"

She paused, "I'm not at all sure."

He muttered under his breath again, "We were hired to clear out some bandits in an old ruin." Valleri's stomach dropped further and clenched her hands a bit as Vilkas continued to speak. She heard him complaining about how many people had turned to such a dishonorable lifestyle. Valleri couldn't have cared less. She prayed to the eight it wasn't in Riverwood.

"You don't talk a lot."

Valleri glanced up, eyebrows furrowed. "Sorry, is that a bad thing?"  
"I'm just used to more talkative people."

Valleri's face relaxed; he didn't mean any harm, so neither should she. "I'm just a bit preoccupied."

"No problem. Just as long as you're thinking about the task at hand when we get up there."

The two continued to climb the hill going south and it was half an hour before finally reaching flat ground. The forest was much denser than it had been at the foot of the mountain. Riverwood slowly appeared over the horizon, a guard station still being the only thing standing between the village and the unknown threats of the wilderness. Nothing had changed in the past week. Vilkas quickened his pace as the village came into view and Valleri kept up with him easily. Valleri stared at the ground as she past the spot where she killed the thief; the blood stain had been washed away since the incident happened. There was no trace that she had been here before.

Vilkas went straight for the inn, the long house that dominated the village. The two of them walked up the steps and Valleri kept glancing at the store and the temple behind them. Memories of the theft came rushing back, making her frown slightly as she approached the door to the inn. The interior was almost the same as she remembered, only now it was less welcoming and a bit darker. Vilkas paused next hearth in the middle of the room. The inn keeper that Valleri met previously approached them, scowl still on her face.

"Are you the people the Companions sent?" she asked as she walked over to the two of them. The inn keeper paused, an expression of shock slowly replacing her dour expression. She stopped and looked Valleri up and down. "Aren't you the one who helped us with those thieves about a week ago?" she pointed to Valleri, now smiling as she nodded her head.

Vilkas glanced at his friend standing next him. Valleri eyes had widened in what he could only guess was fright. "Is the same fight where you hurt your rib?"

Valleri's face went red as she stared into the distance. She shrugged and said, "Well I mean, shit happens." Valleri looked back at Vilkas who only looked forward at the inn keeper with an expression of disappointment.

"Where are the bandits you wanted us to get rid of?"

"Fuckers are holed up in that blasted temple." A new voice echoed across the room, angry and straight to the point. The inn keeper breathed out on frustration while Vilkas and Valleri turned around to come face to face with a short man. Panic settled into the bottom of Valleri's stomach. It was same man that had cornered her the night of the theft. Valleri groaned as he looked straight at her. "Wait I know you!" The man's face scrunched up in anger, eyes narrowed and breathing unsteady. He seethed as looked past the couple and towards the inn keeper, "You should have told that you were hiring people to clear the damn place out! Especially that bitch. By the eight Delphine!"

Delphine looked deadpanned at the merchant, "How was I supposed to know she joined up with the Companions?" She looked at Vilkas and Valleri once again, " I really apologize for this. I was hoping got keep Lucan out of this."

The merchant, Luca, paused and snarled at Delphine. Vilkas, exasperated by the exchange, addressed the merchant, "Wait, what happened between you and Valleri?"

"I politely asked your friend here to go after the thieves that took my property. She had the audacity to refuse," He looked right at Valleri and continued, "And now look you're back, you opportunistic bitch. Watch me give a single hint of gratitude when you get back with my claw."  
Valleri was seething by the time the merchant had finished. The audacity of this man was hard to believe. "I don't remember you fighting off those people the night your trinket was taken. Not going after them yourself then trying to force the chore on another was pretty small of you."

Valleri breathed in quickly, realizing the gravity of her words. Lucan only smiled, "See? See what I mean?"

Delphine rubbed her temples with a hand before looking at Lucan. "Lucan, just stop. Poking a bear with a stick when you have a chance to get the honey doesn't help anyone."

"Aye," Vilkas agreed, eyeing Valleri out of the corner of his eye. She was still red faced, but had calmed down after her outburst. "Our work is with Delphine. If we find your trinket, we find it. If not, oh well." He glanced at Valleri, "Let's go."

Valleri nodded. She wouldn't say anything more in case she said something to upset the already incensed shop keeper. Valleri cursed as the door closed behind her and she could hear Vilkas chuckle.

…

Snow crunched under Valleri's boots as she walked slightly ahead of Vilkas. The temple loomed above them, just as intimidating and defensive as Valleri had remembered it. Up close though, she could see the age of the stones that made up the ruins. Intimidating though it was, the ancient feeling of the ruin was the first completely familiar thing she experience she had since arriving in Skyrim.

She looked up to one of the spires jutting out of the lower platform of the patio. There was a lone person standing and looking out over the ruin. Valleri paused and looked over to Vilkas. She gestured towards the bandit above and he nodded his head. The man approached Valleri, pulling his great sword out of its scabbard on his back.

"It's probably just simpler to go at them straight."

"Wait, what?"

Vilkas smirked slightly and looked at the confused woman in front of him. Her green eyes narrowed a bit and she glanced up at the ruin, calculating the odds in her head. She sighed, and Vilkas took another look at Valleri. Her profile was long and straight. It only took a moment before she turned back to him, expression more confident than before. She nodded and the two of them ascended the stairs slowly.

Another bandit pacing around the lower portion of the patio took notice of them quickly. He rushed at them, sword swinging wildly from the right side. Valleri was blocked it easily while Vilkas left her to attack the bandit they had first seen. The one on the spire looked stunned as the larger Nord ran towards him. He began to knock an arrow as Vilkas' sword came down across his chest. The man yelled in pain as he bent forwards. Vilkas made one last motion and brought the blade hard across the back of the man's neck. The fight was over quickly.

Vilkas turned around to see that Valeri had grabbed her opponent from behind. The bandit was struggling hard against her arm and was close to breaking loose. Before he could though, she dragged a small dagger across his neck. He made a guttural noise and then fell limp to the ground. Valleri stepped back as the dying man landed with a thud. She turned to face Vilkas, smiling a bit. He approached her as he sheathed his sword again.

"You're going to have to trust me if you wish to continue working for the Companions."

She scowled, "Trust takes time to build."

Vilkas shrugged. Her words were true; trust was like respect, it had to be earned. "Fine, fist step then." Valleri stared with a confused look and glanced at the large black door to their left. He gestured towards her, "This is your test. Lead the way."


	5. Chapter 5

Door leading into the temple opened easier than Valleri expected. She held it open as Vilkas followed her into the first cavernous room. The there was hole in the roof, light pouring and long green tendrils limply hanging over the sides. Underneath was a large pillar that had fallen over in front of them. How long it had been there Valleri couldn't even begin to guess. Lichen and moss covered most of the pillar. She stared in awe while Vilkas walked ahead of her. He ducked under the pillar and stopped on the other side.

"You coming?"  
"What?" Valleri paused, attention now on the Nord in front of her, "Oh, yeah."

"Is this your first time in ruins like these?"  
Valleri ducked under the pillar and found herself standing next to Vilkas. There was a small camp in front of them, complete with bedrolls and a dying fire. Two dead bandits laid close by. "What the hell?"  
"Probably woke up the dragur. The fools."  
Valleri looked up at her friend, who was still staring at the camp, "I don't mean to sound like an idiot, but what's a dragur?"  
"Undead." He glanced at Valleri who had shrugged slightly in disappointment. Her scowl told him she wasn't impressed. "You sure you've been in ruins before?"

"Of course I have. Its just the first time I've been in an old Nordic barrow."

"What sort of ruins are down in Cyrodiil? Out of curiosity."

"Old elven ruins."

Vilkas mumbled something unintelligible and went further into the ruins. Valleri followed him down the steps into a downward facing corridor. Many of the stones making up the floor were loose and Valleri could see multiple pathways that caved in long ago. Vilkas paused suddenly, sticking his arm out to halt Valleri. Valleri paused and took a look further down the hall.

There was a larger room at the end, and another bandit had just run in. He was jittery, head turning back and forth in panic. He paused in the middle of the room and looked up. Suddenly he jerked his arm back. Valleri could hear him scream and a strange whooshing noise from within the room. It was only a few seconds before he fell over.

Vilkas sighed next to her. "This'll be fun," he muttered sarcastically.

Valleri pushed past him and descended the final flight of steps into the room. She could now clearly see the lever the bandit had pulled in the middle of the room. She kicked the corpse out of the way before taking another look around the room. There was a higher platform at the far end of the room, clinging for dear life to heavily damaged wall. The wall was heavily decorated, old Nordic faces with animalistic motifs carved around them. The middle face had already fallen down and was currently sitting in a pile of rubble.

Vilkas came in shortly behind her, "How good are you at puzzles?"  
"I dunno…" Valleri mumbled as she walked up to the fallen face and crouched down to inspect it further. "I take it ancient Nords were crafty?"

Vilkas had gone to the left side of the room, brushing old vines away from an alcove. He muttered something then turned back to look at Valleri, "They didn't typically like it when strangers entered their crypts. Can't say I blame them."

Valleri approached him. There were three alcoves in total. Each one had a strange three-sided pillar inside. She tapped one of the pillars and felt it move slightly. Suddenly she looked down at the base of the strange stone objects. Lo and behold there was a relief carving of a snake. "Hey," she called out to Vilkas, who had wandered off to the fallen head, "Do you mind helping me move these?"  
He sighed and sauntered over, "Yeah, fine."  
Valleri scowled, "You have more brute strength than I do. Besides you may as well be helpful." She went to far left alcove and began to push. The stone pillar moved smoothly before becoming stuck on the corner. Valleri gave one last nudge, finally hearing it click into place. She looked down, satisfaction filling her as she saw a snake on the front portion of the pillar.

"How far am I supposed move this?"  
"Until you see a whale." Valleri called over, exiting the alcove. She walked over to the lever. "Let me know when you're done."

"Aye." Valleri heard a grunt followed by another click before Vilkas followed to meet her. He brushed a vine off his shoulder as Valleri pulled the lever back. The gate in front of them lifted with a screech. Valleri waited for Vilkas to exit the room first before turning back to see the gate crashing closed behind them.

…

Valleri heard a squeak as she stepped onto the final wooden step that had led down to the lower levels of the temple. Vilkas stayed slightly ahead of her. The ceiling in this part of the ruin was much lower, though Valleri wasn't surprised. It only elicited a closed in feeling that Valleri wanted to shake off. It wasn't long before Valleri could hear a male voice screaming.

The two of them continued, keeping close to the walls so they wouldn't be seen. There was another large chamber up ahead. Unfortunately, heavy sticky webbing covered most of the entrance. Valleri dug out her dagger and cut an opening into the web. At the other end of the chamber, a large spider quickly scuttling towards an unfortunate Dunmer trapped in another web. Several fresh bodies were scattered about. Most had been eviscerated by monstrous spider. Valleri felt a drop in her stomach.

"What's out there?"

"Giant fucking spider."

"Great," Vilkas muttered as he gave an exasperated sigh.

"It's going after another person though." She looked back at Vilkas, "We could probably sneak up on it."

Vilkas grumbled a bit as he looked though the opening. The Dunmer screamed again, this time it sounded more panicked. "Fine."

Valleri was the first to climb through the webbing. She creeped to the side of the room, slowly making her way towards the spider. She grimaced as she heard it feeding on the Dunmer. Vilkas went straight for the beast, raising his great sword up. He brought it down on the spider's abdomen. It reared up and turned around towards Valleri. Quickly the woman rushed to meet it, bringing her own sword across its eyes. The spider paused, allowing Valleri to get closer to it. She brought her sword down at angles, slicing through the top of the creature's head. It made a squealing noise as it dropped dying to the floor.

Valleri backed away from spider and wiped her sword free of any of the visceral goo onto the creature's body. Vilkas slid his sword back into its scabbard and groaned as he took a look at the dead Dunmer. The body was taking up most of the door way and cutting it down seemed to be their only option. Valleri almost tripped over a spider leg as approached him. She sighed in disappointment as she saw the body dripping more slime. Wordlessly, the two cut the corpse down. Vilkas saw Valleri almost squirm when she accidentally stuck her hand in a large glob of the stuff. Once the body was free, Vilkas shoved it to the side, allowing Valleri to cut a final opening into the web. As the body landed with thud, Valleri heard a clanging noise. She looked down and saw something golden and shiny sticking out of the Dunmer's pocket. She tapped Vilkas on the shoulder, "Wait a moment."

She ran over to the body, crouching to pick up whatever had caught her eye. She pulled out a small golden claw. Valleri stared at it for a moment, trying not fling the trinket across the room. The woman could almost hear the shop keeper laughing behind her wickedly.

"What'd you find?"  
"The trinket."

"Oh good. We can leave then." Vilkas said as he started moving towards the entrance they came in.

"Wait!" Valleri stood up quickly, hand out reached, "The gate closed behind us, remember?"

"Fuck!" Vilkas turned around to see that Valleri was almost beaming. She was now clutching the gold claw close with a slight smile on her face. "You'd really want to spend more time here?"

Valleri glanced to the side before meeting his gaze again, "Yes?" She shrugged, "C'mon, it can't be that bad."

Vilkas sighed; if this lady was right about the gate, he didn't have much choice.

…

Valleri could still smell the rot of the crypts as she passed through into another chamber. Small dust clouds erupted every time she took a step and she could hear the clicking noise of old, decrepit joints off in the distance. The dragur she had encountered so far weren't anything to worry about; a few good swings here and there and they'd be down.

It was how many of them there actually were that was tedious.

Vilkas followed behind her. The Nord had no desire to continue but did anyways, fighting close at Valleri's back. He barely said anything to her after running up the stairs to check on the gate.

Valleri continued towards the end of the chamber. A flash of movement ran across the hall in front of her. On instinct, Valleri stepped back. Her foot landed on step stones and she felt it sink down into the floor. She cursed under her breath and almost fell backwards into Vilkas.

"What the hell?" Vilkas grabbed onto her shoulder, allowing Valleri to regain her footing.

She stared at him, eyes narrowed, "Sorry." Valleri looked back towards the hall in front of them. Blades swung back and forth from the ceiling. The woman watched the blades for a moment, gauging how long it took for them to complete a cycle. "I think if I sprint, I could make it."

"You sure about that?"

Valleri nodded her head, "Yeah, I could make it. They're not going that fast."

"Fine, just be careful," Vilkas whispered as he stepped to the side. Valleri waited a moment for the first blade to reach the middle of its cycle then took off. Her heart thudded against her chest as she ran through the short corridor, worried that her timing may have been off. She turned around to look backwards as she cleared the trap, searching for Vilkas on the other side. He shouted something at her, but Valleri couldn't hear what.

Before she knew it, a rickety, old sword whizzed past her. Turning around, Valleri came face to face with the dragur that she had seen before setting off the trap. She pulled her sword out of the scabbard at her side quickly and the dragur blocked her blow. The undead creature went to the side, Valleri following suit to keep attacking the dragur's left side. Finally, with its back facing the swinging blades, she gave the dragur a swift kick. It landed with a satisfactory thud in the middle of the trap. She searched for a lever or pull chain to stop the trap while her adversary was torn to shreds.

Vilkas stalked over to Valleri after she stopped the swing blades. There was a loud snap as he stepped on the arm of the dragur. Valleri stood her ground as Vilkas stooped in front her of with a scowl.

"What'd I do wrong this time?" Vilkas only shook his head and started walking to the next room. Valleri followed closely behind, frustration welling up in her chest. "What the fuck did I do?"

The two of them exited the corridor into a more natural cavern. A stream cut across the cave and past it was another sarcophagus. Valleri could hear a scrapping sound coming from within. Her imagination filled with dark images of what had been trapped in the coffin for centuries. Vilkas called back to her, pulling a short metal chain. A gate at the other side of the room lifted with screech, alerting Valleri to its presence. Vilkas led her through the gate and down alongside the stream that had started in the room before. At the end tunnel was a small overlook. Valleri paused and looked down.

Below her was small walk way going across a chasm. Another dragur was patrolling the thin walkway, a large axe pulled out and ready attack. Vilkas walked past her and towards the path leading down. "Vilkas, wait."

The man paused for a moment before moving to look over the edge. He sighed when he saw the dragur. Valleri glanced at him, "I'm gonna climb down."  
"Are you serious?"  
"Yes, I am," she swung her leg over the ledge and started to make her way down the cliff face. She heard Vilkas above her move away from the ledge and go down the path. She grunted as she wormed her way onto the far side of the walkway behind the dragur. Valleri didn't bother remain quiet as she charged the dragur. She felt her blade slice through the dragur's chest, but the creature didn't slow and pushed Valleri back. Valleri made a second attempt to strike the dragur. She arced her sword and connected with the dragur's neck. Valleri tried to bring her sword out of the creature. The sword didn't budge. Valleri huffed in frustration and brought her dagger. She readied into another attack position when she heard Vilkas yelling. Suddenly the dragur stopped moving and Vilkas' sword had pierced it's torso all the way through. He slid the sword out with ease and the dragur flopped onto the ground. Valleri stared out him with amazement as he bent down to retrieve her sword. He flipped it towards her and almost snarled, "That was incredibly stupid."

Valleri frowned and took the handle. "Shut up. I could have handled it." She sheathed her sword as Vilkas pushed past her. She sighed and turned to follow. Frustration welled up in Valleri's chest. She prayed to the Divines they were nearing the end of the ruin.

…

Valleri stared at the large wall in front of her. There were ornate circular designs carved on the upper portion of the wall, split into three major sections. Small animals danced around the rings. Three small holes had been dug out beneath the rings. The carvings were curiously similar to the ones she had seen in the first puzzle room. Vilkas yawned behind her, "Any ideas?"  
Valleri went towards wall. Her hand was outstretched to feel the stone when one of the rings moved under her touch. Valleri pulled her hand back suddenly, "Fuck! Was that supposed to move?"

"S'pose so."  
Valleri turned back to stare at Vilkas, eyes narrowed in discomfort. "Did the Nords really have to make so many damn puzzles?"

"What'd the elves do?"  
Valleri shrugged and turned her attention back the wall, "Mostly just traps." Vilkas muttered in acknowledgment and went to look around at some other carvings on the wall. The frustration that filled the pit in her stomach began to creep through her arms and Valleri breathed outwardly. The three holes caught her eye once again. Valleri could feel her eyes go wide.

Why hadn't she thought of it before?

The woman pulled the small claw from out of her bag. She counted the fingers and measured them for good measured. Valleri smiled as she realized her breakthrough.

"Vilkas, get over here!"

"What is it this time?"

"Do you think you could move that top ring for me?" Vilkas shrugged as he moved past her and reached up, ready pull down to move the stone. Valleri looked closer to the palm of the claw. Nearing the top was a small bear. "Move it till you see a bear."

"Same idea as the earlier lever, right?"

"Exactly. Middle one is a butterfly of some sort," Valleri glanced up to watch Vilkas rotate the second ring. "Owl," she muttered as she moved out of Vilkas' way. He finished rotating the ring quickly and stepped back when he heard a click. Valleri crouched forward, claw in her hand. She inserted the gold trinket into the slots. There was a rumbling beneath her and Valleri stepped backwards into Vilkas as they watched the wall descend into the floor. The claw landed with a clang as it fell out of the wall.

In front of them they could see a large cavernous chamber. Moonlight poured in through holes in the ceiling and there was a raised patio in the center of the chamber. Valleri stood in awe. This final tomb was nothing like what she had seen in Cyrodiil.

Vilkas patted her shoulder and went on in. He walked at a slow pace, allowing Valleri to catch up with ease. The two of them stopped on the raised patio where Vilkas sat down on a coffin behind her. In front of them was another large black wall, curved in on itself. Strokes were carved in neat lines and made Valleri think of an old, dead language. Which language it was Valleri couldn't guess.

"We should rest. It's way past dark," Vilkas yawned again. He sprawled out over the coffin and closed his eyes. Valleri sighed and looked back towards the wall. Vilkas eyed her out of the corner of his eye. She sat down on the floor in front of the wall with her back turned away from him. Short, flaxen hair covered her neck. It was wavier than most of than most people and he had noticed earlier that she was constantly pushing it out of her face. Why Valleri didn't braid it back was beyond him.

"You're curious about the wall."

Valleri turned back to him, a smirk on her face. "I thought you were sleeping."

"Just resting," he heard Valleri chuckle, "I've seen those walls before."

"What's written on there?"  
"An old language of dragons."

"Dragons?"

"Yeah. A long time ago a bunch of fools thought it'd be fun to worship giant, flying lizards. That's their script up there."

"Do you know what it says?"  
Vilkas paused. "Beats me."

The two of them spent several minutes in silence. Valleri moved to the base of the wall and used her cloak as a makeshift blanket. She looked down at the floor for a minute before looking up towards Vilkas on the coffin, "You never told me why you were so mad earlier."

Vilkas breathed out in exasperation, "Do you always rush into dangerous situations?"

"I guess."

"There's your answer then." Vilkas said, voice thick with annoyance. He was scowling again. "Do you know what the Companions are built on?"

"Loyalty and honor. Something like that," Valleri scoffed.

Vilkas sat up on the coffin a quick motion with a fiery spark in his eyes. Valleri only stared back at him. "The Companions take the hardest jobs because others can't. We have to work together," his expression softened, "We have to trust each other."

"Trust doesn't come easily for me."

"I figured. Why?"

Valleri sighed, "I could ask the same question." She glanced back to Vilkas who continued to stare at her with silver eyes.

"Fine. I don't like people who think they're above me. It was just me and Farkas for a while, and I had to be one to keep us safe."

"So, you're just an orphan."

"Well not exactly. Some man by the name of Jergen left us at Jorrvaskr when we were children."

"It seems like going into the Companions was the obvious choice," Valleri muttered from her spot on the floor.

"Oh, shut up. I guess your parents weren't happy about you becoming a research guard."

Valleri whipped her head around and stared daggers at the man on the coffin. "Jokes on you, because they died before I could remember their faces." Valleri didn't elaborate further and continued to stare menacingly at Vilkas.

"Apologies," Vilaks said quietly as he watched the anger melt of Valleri's face. "What happened then?"

"I grew up in a temple before joining a group of scholars based in Anvil."  
"Why are you so prickly then?"  
"When you're raised by people who constantly tell you you're a burden, then you begin to think they're right."  
"What changed?"  
Valleri glanced at Vilkas with an uneasy smile. "You sure are persistent. Let's just say I wasn't specifically a research guard or sell sword or what have you. They accepted me like family." Valleri stared at that floor again, mouth pulled back in regret. Vilkas stared off into the distance with his head propped on his hand. "I'm sorry." Vilkas heard her whisper.

"Don't be. Just try to get some sleep. We'll be in Riverwood come morning." Vilkas took one last look as Valleri on the floor before laying back down on the coffin. Sleep wouldn't take him for a while yet.

…

Valleri slid down the rock cliff with an arm holding her steady. Vilkas was still at the top of the ledge, gazing out across the trees below him. Valleri's foot hit the forest floor with a soft thud and she wobbled as she steadied herself back onto flat ground. She glanced up to Vilkas above her and shouted, "You see anything up there?  
"No. Just trees. It should be no trouble to get back to the village."

The Nord climbed down the cliff after Valleri, landing a bit faster than he thought. Valleri stifled a chuckle as he almost tripped. He glared at her momentarily before his expression melted into a vague smirk as he caught up to Valleri. Their walk back to Riverwood was uneventful. The sun was beginning to rise over the tree tops and the air started to warm. Valleri could feel her fingers unthaw. She still wasn't used to the cold climate of the mountains and the ruin had been colder than she had expected. Valleri would have to find a pair of gloves once she got back to Whiterun.

As the village came into view, Vilkas paused. In the distance a man running towards the center of the village. Once Valleri took a closer look, she could see tell tale brown and red uniform. The man was a legionnaire.

"Should we check it out?"

"Probably. There might be trouble." Vilkas muttered as he crossed a stream towards the boardwalk leading to the main part of the village. His pace slowed as he rounded the corner. Delphine and a blacksmith were attempting to calm down the frantic soldier.

"I just fucking ran. Just fucking ran."

"Hadvar, calm down lad. What happened?" the blacksmith questioned as he laid a hand on the soldiers back.

"It's destroyed," the soldier paused to catch his breath, "Absolutely gone."

Vilkas came up on the trio standing in the middle of the road. "What happened here?"  
Delphine looked up, a tinge of relief washing over her face. "Don't know yet."

The soldier looked up suddenly and turned to face Vilkas, "Nobody can help. Helgen's been destroyed. Wiped off the map."

Everyone stared at the young man in disbelief. Valleri felt her back go stiff and a cold feeling creep up over her shoulders. The blacksmith was the first one to speak, "What do you mean destroyed?"

"We captured Ulfric Stromcloak, but before we could execute him, a full regiment of rebels overtook the town," the soldier's eyes glazed over before he continued, "It was absolute bloodshed."

Delphine looked up to Vilkas, "This is serious. The Jarl needs to know."

Vilkas nodded his head in agreement. He glanced down at Valleri at his side. The woman had almost froze, her left hand balled up in tight fist. Her other hand all but clawed at her left. The anger in her eyes was unnatural.

"We'll leave right away and I'll talk to him." He turned back to Valleri, "We found that man's trinket while we were in the ruin by the way. You should probably be the one to return it."

Valleri perked up, the look of rage melting off her face. She gingerly unpacked the golden claw from her bag and offered it back to Delphine. "Those bandits pretty much took care of themselves. I'm sure things'll be fine, but stay safe," Valleri muttered as she went to leave the group. The news of Helgen's destruction left her feeling sick. Memories of Jalfi and Helgi's fear and her own entry into Skyrim came rushing back as she walked down the road. Why were people so intent on ruining the lives of others?


	6. Chapter 6

The sun was descending finally as Vilkas went down the steps leading to Dragonsreach. This day seemed to go on forever, but Vilkas was close to putting it behind him. His walk to the back of the training yard of Jorrvaskr was short. Crazy Heimskr had taken the day off and Vilkas was glad he wasn't screaming at people passing by. The sunlight was distant as Vilkas walked around the side of the Jorrvaskr and the familiar sounds of arrows hitting practice targets had become clear. He could see Aela and Skjor standing side by side, bows out and quivers at their sides. Kodlak was standing close by, arms crossed as he watched his friends. Vilkas approached the trio, stopping next to the Harbinger

Kodlak glanced at the newcomer before looking back at Aela and Skjor, "How did Balgruuf take the news?"

"Not well. He's as indecisive as he is stubborn; he probably won't do anything about it," Vilkas huffed.

"Sounds a lot like someone I know" Aela chuckled as she let an arrow fly. The woman breathed outwards with satisfaction after the arrow hit its mark.

Skjor laughed, smile playing on his lips, "Oh, don't tease the boy, sister. He may be stubborn but he isn't indecisive. He may pounce on you next chance he gets."

Aela turned around to see Vilkas glowering at the two archers. "True, true." She laughed again and pulled another arrow from out of her quiver. Vilkas continued to glare at her, "It was jest Vilkas." She knocked the arrow, breathing in. The woman fired the arrow and cursed when it missed the target entirely. Skjor laughed as Aela narrowed his eyes at him in mock disappointment.

Still smiling, Skjor looked backwards to Vilkas, "Beyond that, how did the new comer do?"

"Valleri?" Vilkas' expression softened as he stared at the ground in contemplation, "She did fine."

Aela and Skjor stared at Vilkas was disbelief. Kodlak stifled a laugh next to him and Aela opened her mouth to speak, "This woman must really be something. You usually have something negative to say about every whelp we take on!"

"You've even memorized her name." Skjor muttered under a laugh. Vilkas sighed in frustration.

"In all seriousness though, would you recommend we take her on?" Kodlak asked, recomposed suddenly. Skjor shrugged as he went back to the targets in front of him. Vilkas watched him for a moment as he thought of an answer.

"Valleri's on par with Athis skill wise. She's a risk taker though. If we take her on, she'll want to do things her way."

"Valleri has fire. I can appreciate that," Kodlak paused, "The girl's been through a lot, it'll take time to temper her down."

"It won't happen for some time." Vilkas muttered off handedly. There was another thunk when Skjor fired his arrow. The older man smiled as he knocked another arrow. "Not until she's made some sort of breakthrough. Her friends were important to her."

Aela turned back to the two men behind her, "She mentioned being from Anvil right? Was she with the fighter's guild?"

Vilkas shook his head, "No, a private research group. She grew up in a chapel and didn't get any sort of training until she joined up."

"Valleri must have been one of the orphans left after the plague," Kodlak muttered.

"Plague?"

Kodlak looked up to Vilkas, "There was a disease that ravished the Gold Coast region shortly after the war. Many people perished. I'd imagine that's how she ended up at the chapel."

"Makes sense," Skjor whispered. "Either way, it's already been a week. You may as well accept her contract officially, even if working with her is as tough as Vilkas says it's going to be."  
"I didn't say that." Vilkas quipped as Skjor shrugged in an apology.

"I'll let her know in the morning then," Kodlak mumbled before turning to look down the path. "We have a visitor tonight, my friends"

Sure enough, when Vilkas turned to look at the side of the hall, he could see man in dark purple robes pacing down the path. The man's hands were clenched up in tight fists and in one of them was a letter. There was venom in his expression as he neared the group. "If the Jarl doesn't end up killing me, I swear on the grave of my father you people will!" the man swore. Vilkas sighed outwards with frustration as Kodlak moved closer to the mage with a friendly hand proffered out.

The mage brushed it back with a tired look. Kodlak grimaced momentarily, "What brings you here, Farengar?"

"You know that's an interesting question, Harbinger. Somehow, even after two years, I'm still getting your letters from the College," Farengar flapped the letter in the air before handing it to Kodlak. "Please just ask them to send it to you directly."

Vilkas could see that the top portion of the envelope had been haphazardly torn open. Kodlak sighed, "You had to read it?"

"Of course, I did; there was no name on the letter. That courier only said it was from the College," Farengar gestured theatrically with his arms, wide sleeves swinging to and fro.

Aela leaned on Vilkas' shoulder, bow aimed downwards, and whispered into the younger man's ear, "You think we could scare 'em away?"

Vilkas shook his head with a slight smile playing on the corners of his mouth, "Not worth it."

"Bah, you're no fun," Aela laughed as she steadied herself away from Vilkas.

"What's it say?"

Kodlak scanned the document quickly, "They found a piece of Wuuthrad in a crypt nearby." He looked over his shoulder to the Companions behind him. He would have laughed; everyone was experiencing a wide range of emotions, mostly shock.

Farengar huffed, "Listen; I don't consider your lot to be friends and I'm probably one of the last people you'd take council from, but Kodlak, move quickly. Things like this don't stay quiet and there are bound to be others who'll want your fragment."

"The wizard's right, Kodlak." Skjor muttered from behind the old man. Kodlak stared at the ground for a moment before heading inside.

"I'll take the night to think on it. I'll let you know of my decision in the morning." Kodlak grumbled as he went back inside, quickly followed by Skjor.

Farengar didn't linger long and only Aela and Vilkas were the only people left in the training yard. Aela strode over to the far side of the yard and started plucking arrows from the targets. Vilkas folloed her at a distance and helped her clean up the scattered arrows. The sky above them had began to darken as the sun made its dash to the horizon. Secunda was high above them and pale light began to pour down. "Hand me the extras, Vilkas. I'm going for the night."

Vilkas looked over his shoulder with a scowl, "You're not even going to pretend that you're considering Kodlak's view of things?"

"Kodlak's the Harbinger, not the de facto master of the Companions. I can technically do what I want," Aela shrugged as she slung her bow of her shoulder, "And a night hunt sounds good right now." Vilkas grumbled and began to walk back towards the door inside. Aela called out once more before she rounded the corner around Jorrvaskr, "Don't worry about it too much Vilkas; I'm sure things'll work out fine!"

Vilkas opened the door with a sigh of exhaustion. Bright light hit him in the face like heavy fist aimed for his nose. Aela's final words of encouragement did nothing to help his mood. Instead, Vilkas was now more sure than ever that things were beginning to fall apart.

…

Valleri sat at a corner table in the Bannered Mare, quietly sipping on a small mug of mead. Athis and Farkas were sitting at the table as well, both having drug the woman out for a drink. Farkas had been distracted most of the night while Athis had barely said two words to his friends. Valleri resolved herself to watching the activity around her; most of the people who had been coming in and out were loud and rambunctious, perfect for people watching. Most had gathered around the open fire in the middle of the building. In the distance, Valleri could here a bard screeching out a song. She sighed; this may have not been the best idea.

An older woman approached the table with another bottle of mead, glancing down to Farkas, "Your little group sure is silent tonight." She stared expectantly at the three of them and a look of disappointment washed over her face when no one answered, "Did someone die? You all look so glum."

"We're just having a drink, ma'am." Athis muttered from his seat, still looking at the people near the hearth.

"Well, that's fine and all, but you're killing the mood," the woman huffed, "At least look like you're not about to go murder someone."

The woman turned to leave, but Farkas made a move to speak, "Hulda, do you know if Ysolda is going to be here tonight?"

Hulda narrowed her eyes in thought before answering. "I don't think she will; said something about having some stuff clean up at home. Sorry," Hulda muttered as she smirked at Farkas. He frowned momentarily as he took a large gulp from his mug.

Athis chuckled, "No need to get drunk just because your girl isn't here tonight."

Farkas nearly choked as he stared at the Dunmer in disbelief, "Ysolda isn't mine and probably never will; not that I'm interested anyways."

Athis laughed at his friend while a smile crept up Valleri's face. "Wait, I thought I was imagining thigs, but Farkas is into Ysolda?" the woman chuckled, looking at the Dunmer for an answer.

"The big lug here's been chasing after the poor girl since she came into town," he pointed a slender, grey finger towards his friend, "Farkas is too cowardly to say anything."

Farkas huffed out in frustration, setting the mug down on the table. He wore a scowl as he stared down the Dunmer across the table. Athis didn't make a move and kept smiling. Valleri could see Farkas think for a moment before the larger Nord slumped against the back of his seat in defeat. He shot another glare at Athis, "Say one thing about it to anyone else, I'll give you a black eye."

"Sure, you will," Athis muttered as he stared at the golden liquid in his own mug, "What I wouldn't give for a real drink though."

"What were you thinking?" Valleri muttered, silently thinking the same thing. The mead was too sweet for her tastes.

"Sujama. The corner club in Windhelm has some decent stock. Why, what were you thinking about?"

Valleri only shook her head, "Not sujama, that's for sure." She paused for a moment, leaning further back in her seat. "You're from Windhelm then?"

"Unfortunately," Athis whispered as he looked down at the table, "Came here maybe three years ago now. Azura's blood, I hate that city."

"As you've said a million times, Athis," Farkas said from behind his mug. He looked over to Valleri, "We found him getting into a brawl with some Nords. They kicked him out of the city. Skjor offered to take him back with us."

"What's wrong WIndhelm?" Valleri asked as she poured more mead into her mug. Athis stared at her with disbelief before she shrugged. "I just got here. Don't blame me for being curious."  
Athis shook his head, "Windhelm is literally the worst place in Skyrim. Ulfirc Stromcloak is jarl, but thinks himself a king. Treats anyone who isn't a Nord like they may as well be scum on the bottom of his boot." He took a long swig of his drink before continuing his rant, "He pushed all of us Dumner to squalid part of the city; started calling it the Grey Quarter. The bastard."

Valelri narrowed her eyes in contemplation. She could feel herself begin to fog over, "Why don't you guys just kick him out, reinstate a new Jarl?"  
"They can't just get rid of a Jarl, Val," Farkas muttered, "He's got an entire army that'd probably siege the city before a few elves and handful of Argonians could take 'em out."

"Oh, so that's why the people in Riverwood were worried about that Ulfirc fellow. He's the one who started the rebellion?"  
"Right as rain you are." Athis stated before finishing off his mug. Valleri refilled it quickly as Athis continued, "Stupid war just to pet his own ego, I say."  
"Wait, wait, wait," Valleri gestured, "What is this war over anyways?"  
Faarkas shrugged, "Oblivion if I know." Valleri looked over to Athis and watched as the elf shook his head.

"Empire is no better in my opinion, no offense." Athis nodded his head towards Valleri, who shrugged in acknowledgment. "Idiot generals thinking it only takes a few more men, that land still technically belongs to them."

Valleri sighed, suddenly aware of her falling mood, "It's just as messy as Cyrodiil then?" Valleri looked up from her mead and over towards the hearth. Most of the people that had gathered around were laughing and telling stories. The bard was now singing a jaunty tune that roused the crowd around him. "What a waste," she muttered before taking a sip of mead. Valleri's mind began to fixate on the legionnaire from Helgen and the sudden disappointment that had washed over Vilkas' face when he had seen her freeze.

Farkas shook his head, "Hulda was right. You guys are just sad. The wars got nothing to do with us, right?" the man said before refilling everyone's mug, "Just drink up and don't think about it!" Farkas grinned at Valleri and she couldn't help but smile back. He looked back to Athis who was still sullen. "Did you know that our elf friend here has almost got caught up in a daedra cult a while back?"  
Valleri looked over to Athis, who was now stuttering out a hasty reply, "Oh really?"

…

Vilkas glanced up when he heard the front door creak open. It was already late into the night and Vilkas had expected that whoever had went out for the night wouldn't be back till the morning. Instead he saw a slender woman come in through the door. Valleri looked unsteady on her feet as she almost slammed the door closed.

Vilkas cleared his throat, catching her attention. She stared at him with wide eyes, "Fuck, I didn't think anyone would still be up." Valleri muttered, rubbing her eyes with a hand. "Why's it so bright in here?"

Vilkas shot her a confused look from his spot at the table, "Where've you been?"

"What?"  
Valleri slumped into a seat across from his and propped her head up with a hand. Vilkas could see a pink hue covering her face and her eyes were tired.

"You went out drinking with Farkas and Athis, I take it?" Vilkas shook his head.

"Yep," Valleri slurred as she slumped over on the table, "I'm an idiot."

Vilkas furrowed his eyebrows as he stared at the woman in front of him. The scene in front of him was bordering on pathetic, "Obviously. What'd exactly did they give you?"  
"We started with that mead stuff, but then half way through Athis had the lady bring some sort of hard liquor," Valleri groaned, "Drinking whatever was in that bottle was a mistake."  
"I'm not sure why you didn't think so in the first place," Vilkas glanced towards the door for a moment before looking back to Valleri, "Where are they?"  
"Bannered Mare."  
"I don't why I'm surprised. You tapped out then?" Valleri gave a quick gesture with her hand in acknowledgment and Vilkas nodded his head. He laughed, a smile playing on his face, "You're going to have a rough time tomorrow."

"Gods, don't remind me," Valleri whispered groggily as she looked up once more, "I regret this so much."

"I can see that," Vilkas stifled a chuckle as he watched Valleri groan again. The alcohol was starting to go to her head. He got up from the table and went to a cabinet at the far end of the hall. He shuffled around before finding a purple bottle. He took a glass and went back to the table to uncork the concoction.

"Please, I don't think I can handle anymore." Valleri waved as she shot him a disgruntled look.

"This isn't alcoholic," Vilkas muttered as he filled the glass half way before sliding it over to her, "It'll help with the nausea."

Valleri looked up to him with a pained expression before taking the glass from his hand. Her nose scrunched up as she brought the glass closer to her face, "This smells awful."

"It'll burn going down." Valleri scowled at the glass before chugging it down. When she was done, Valleri set the glass down onto the table with a larger thud and she laid her head back onto the table. Vilkas continued to stare at her with a slight grimace. Blonde hair was splayed over her face, obscuring her expression. Vilkas sighed, "You know, sleeping in actual bed would help."

Valleri hummed lightly before stray hairs behind her ear, "I just don't want to move."

Vilkas chuckled, "You're a surprisingly calm drunk."

"Fuck off."

"There it is." Vilkas quipped. He walked around the side of the table and started to wrap one of Valleri's arms around his shoulders. The smaller woman slumped against his slide as she groaned again. Vilkas began to walk Valleri towards the stairs. She felt warm against his side, something Vilkas hadn't expected. "This is the only time I'm going to do this," the man gruffed as he carefully led Valleri down the stairs to the lower levels of the hall. Valleri began to mumble in tongues, speaking in and out of Cyrodiilic and some sort of Elvish. What she was mumbling about was beyond him.

Vilkas stopped at the final door leading into the bunk room and steadied his friend. She kept a hand on his arm as she reached for the banister. Valleri looked up momentarily and paused. Vilkas hear her breath hitch and her eyes were suddenly serious and alert.

"You have such kind eyes."

Vilkas stared wide eyed at Valleri in shock, "What?" He felt his face flush and his shoulders tense up. Suddenly he was scowling again as s smile crept up Valleri's face. "Bones, Valleri! Go to bed," Vilkas nearly shouted as he turned quickly away from the Imperial at the door. He could still feel the strange, nervous warmth as he walked back to his own quarters.

It was good that Valleri wasn't going to remember anything the next day.


	7. Chapter 7

Valleri woke up with pounding, rhythmic throb in her head. She groaned as she rolled onto her back, legs still tangled in the wool blanket. The wall sconce next to her head was brighter than she hoped. Valleri groaned. What even happened last night?

Valleri could only clearly remember drinking with Athis and Farkas then the walk back to Jorrvaskr. Finally, Vilkas had greeted her at the door, but after that she couldn't guess. Valleri didn't think that Vilkas had said much of anything. Instead he probably muttered something snarky under his breath and left her to her own machinations. At least that's what Valleri's fantasy was. While Vilkas' demeanor towards her had improved since Bleakfalls Barrow, the Nord was still off standish.

Valleri huffed as she forced herself up; Nordic alcohol wasn't for her.

There were footsteps quickly approaching and Valleri didn't bother acknowledging the older woman who had come to check on her. The woman mumbled something about Kodlak and the rest was lost. Valleri arched her back in a stretch and grabbed her overshirt before leaving the warmth of the bed. The walk up to the main hall had helped wake the Imperial woman up. Valleri scrunched her eyes closed and rubbed her face with a free hand when the sunlight starting to pour into the room hit her face. She garbled out a curse before finding a seat at the table dominating the room. She felt a hand grip on her shoulder lightly. Again, Valleri didn't bother looking up, "Reman's beard, not now."

"Must be a bad hangover."

Valleri finally glanced up, coming face to face with an expressionless Vilkas. She put her head in her hands, "Your criticism is the last thing I need."

"Figured," the man said as he pulled up a seat next to her. He grabbed for a piece of bread and broke it in half before gesturing it towards Valleri. "You're going want to fill your stomach if you want to get through the day," Vilkas muttered as Valleri swiped the bread piece from his hand. She could spot a corner of his mouth move upwards in a small smirk as he spread some jam over his half.

Valleri nibbled on the bread for a moment before pouring herself a glass of water. The fluid felt soothing against her throat and before she knew it, Valleri had chugged the rest of the water. Vilkas had only stared at her with a confused expression. He shook his head then went back to eating and Valleri enjoyed the companionable silence. Valleri watched as the sun finally made its way past the edge of the wall and she could feel her head ache ease a little.

She peeked over to Vilkas at her right before moving to speak, "I heard that Kodlak was looking for me."

"Mm hmm," Vilkas hummed as he continued to stare at the table in front of him. Valleri could see dark rims under his eyes, clear as day without the usual smear of charcoal covering his face. If Valleri hadn't been preoccupied with her own hangover, she probably would have said something.

"You know what it's about?"

"Aye," Vilkas leaned back in his seat, "It's about what happened at Bleakfalls."

"Shit."

"It's not all bad news."  
Valleri looked away from Vilkas and back across the room with a slight scowl, "Easy for you to say, you aren't the one being judged."

Vilkas raised his eyebrows momentarily in shock, "I'll have you know, its also me who's being evaluated here. I was the one who had to make sure you weren't a liability."

"Kodlak can't just kick you out for being a crappy judge of character though," Valleri whipped her head back towards Vilkas with furrowed eyebrows, "I'm still just an outsider." The woman huffed and went back to staring at the room in front of her.

Vilkas sighed, "True." He looked back at Valleri, observing small features he hadn't noticed before. Her profile was sharp and her nose was long and pointed. Her skin looked a tad paler than what should have been natural, but that may have been because of her previous night becoming acquainted with Nordic alcohol. Even with exhaustion written all over her face, Valleri's eyes were wide and alert. He hadn't noticed just how large her eyes were when she was still sober, but now it was plain obvious.

Vilkas turned around with a fluid motion, finding himself staring at Kodlak coming up from the lower level. The younger man nodded his head towards him and went back to watching Valleri. The woman hadn't noticed the Harbinger behind her, but Vilkas wouldn't have expected her to.

"You two are awake early." Kodlak bellowed with a smile.

Valleri turned back with frightened movement, eye wide in surprise, and almost shouted, "Fuck!" Kodlak stared at her with a slightly disturbed expression and Vilkas tried not to laugh sarcastically. "I did not mean to say that!"

Kodlak sighed, "You're already aware of what I needed to talk to you about?" Valleri nodded her head slightly before looking over to Vilkas with a tinge of worry. Kodlak caught onto the small interaction, "Vilkas told you then?"  
"It was nice of him to warn me before hand," Valleri muttered as she turned back to Kodlak.

The old man's smile returned as he glanced over to Vilkas. The younger man's expression was nearly blank, but Kodlak knew him long enough to see the hint of exasperation, "Quite." He turned back to the Imperial woman, "I've made a final decision regarding your contract." Valleri stopped breathing and began to wring her fingers in anticipation. "Vilkas has told me about your trip to Bleakfalls Barrow and was impressed, though his recommendation was still hesitant. You're very much used to working by yourself, are you not?"  
Valleri's expression changed suddenly, eyes no longer scanning around the room with anxiety. Instead she looked directly at Kodlak with a newfound seriousness, "That's not entirely correct. I only find it difficult to work with those I don't fully trust nor understand," she paused momentarily, glancing at the younger man next to her before looking back at Kodlak, "You can go a long time talking to a person without knowing if they're going to leave you for dead in the right situation."

Kodlak stared at the woman before answering, only for a moment that seemed to stretch for hours. Valleri was right, but still didn't seem to understand what the Companions were like, didn't understand how different this place was from her friends in Anvil. He cocked an eyebrow before glancing back to Vilkas; her comment had seemed directed at the younger Nord, if only a little. Vilkas' demeanor had not changed from before. Grey eyes were still trained on Valleri, watching her movements with curiosity. If he had noted the second meaning in Valleri's words, he didn't want to look as if he did.

"That's a piece of wisdom not many understand, Imperial. But you may find that it is not so true here." Kodlak broke his formal tone and bellowed with a deep, resonating laugh, "I hope the others will make you think differently. I've decide to accept your contract."

A look of relief and happiness washed over Valleri's face as she breathed out. Both Kodlak and Vilkas could see a weight lift from her shoulder. Valleri smiled, genuinely smiled for the first time since she arrived. It was bright and infectious; Kodlak could see the corner of Vilkas' lips curl in a smirk.

"That being said, Vilkas, I've also come to a decision concerning the news we got from the college concerning Wuuthrad."  
Vilkas perked up at the name and looked back up to Kodlak, "Have you now?"  
"I would like you and your brother to take Valleri to retrieve it. Even if you find it was a false tip, I believe it would be beneficial for you to poke around."  
Vilkas furrowed his eyebrows, taking in what Kodlak had just said. He glanced back up, "I should tell you know that we won't be able to leave for a time. No one's seen Farkas since last night."  
Kodlak sighed, "Bannered Mare, I take it?" Valleri mumbled a few words of apology as Vilkas nodded his head. Kodlak stared forward in mock disappointment, "That will be fine then. Just make for Dustman's Cairn when you three are ready."  
Kodlak turned to make his way to the training yard when Valleri lifted her hand for attention, "What's Wuuthrad exactly?"

Kodlak smiled to himself as he continued towards the door, "You'll find out soon enough."

…

Farkas didn't make his appearance until midafternoon. Valleri had been surprised to find that the Nord was wholly unaffected by their night out, smiling widely without faltering once in the time they had seen him. Vilkas only stared at her with a tinge of pity and amusement when his brother had come into Jorrvaskr absolutely fine. She internally chided him for finding her low alcohol tolerance entertaining.

They started for Dustman's Cairn almost as soon as Farkas showed up. The sun was at its full height when the trio left the city gates behind them, beaming down on Valleri's back as they walked westward. Vilkas and Farkas quickly led her away from the road and over the open plain. Many of the plants around them had began to prepare for the coming autumn weather. Leaves were turning a bright golden color, reminding Valleri of her native Gold Coast. Bright spots of purple stood out among the gold, giving a splash of color to the plain. Tall mountains rose on either side of the tundra; Valleri once again had the feeling that she was being watched by the mountains. She would probably never get used to the massive peaks looming over her back.

Farkas had been chatty the entire time the trio had been hiking to Dustman's Cairn. Vilkas had acknowledged his brother with monosyllable answers beside her while Valleri had wondered at the scenery around them. Hours passed by like this in mostly companionable silence; Valleri felt as though she was almost back at home.

Before she knew it, the sun began its decent back into the horizon and the sky began to darken to an inky black. The trio's pace slowed before Vilkas stopped their trek entirely towards Dustman's Cairn.

He sighed as he looked across the horizon, "We're going to have to make a camp for tonight." He looked back over to Farkas behind him, "We probably would have made it if you weren't so late earlier."

Farkas shrugged as Valleri looked over to him with a look of concern, "Well, it's already happened. Besides, camping out won't be so bad."

There was an awkward pause before Valleri crossed her arms and stared at the ground with an expression of disparagement. "Last time I camped out in the woods, I almost died," she muttered, voice thick with sarcasm. Vilkas looked over his shoulder and Farkas' smile almost disappeared. Valleri looked up, noting their expressions, "Bad joke, sorry."

Vilkas sighed before moving down towards a lower point in the plain, noting that this was now their camping space. Farkas had taken Valleri to collect some firewood while Vilkas cleared away most of the debris. When they came back, Vilkas quickly made a fire that illuminated the night around them. By this time, Farkas had gotten quieter as the three of them sat around the fire. Valleri pulled her cloak tight around her shoulders and stared out at the scenery in front of them. Vilkas stared into the fire, face serious and mind probably overthinking about what they had to do in the morning. Farkas, on the other hand, had begun to hum to himself.  
"You okay?"

Valleri turned her head to face Vilkas. He had glanced over to her at his left, looking up at her with expectant eyes.

Valleri breathed out, a small smile playing in her face, "Yeah, I'm good. This just reminds me of one time I had to camp out with my friends before arriving in Skyrim."

Farkas perked up, "Same ones you're looking for?" Valleri paused, eyes widening as her smile disappeared. Vilkas scowled at his brother as Farkas looked back at his feet, "Sorry."

Valleri only shook her head before looking back out across the plain, "Yeah, they are."

"What're their names?"  
The sun was now just a sliver above the horizon, turning the scenery around their camp bright red. She had seen the same sunset so many times before; this one had felt so distant suddenly, as if Valleri was no longer there. The air had begun to chill around Valleri and she brought her cape closer around her neck, "There were three of us. Alastaros, Lexius, and I."

"One's an elf I take it?" Vilkas asked with a gruff tone that he had meant to come off as interested.

A dull pressure welled up in Valleri's chest. "Yeah. He took Lex and I in when we had nowhere else to go."

"What was so special about that trip you mentioned?"

Valleri chuckled dryly as she finally looked back to the others. Farkas was staring at her intensely while Vilkas was still looking into the fire in front of them. She smiled as she recalled the memory. "Nothing really in hindsight. We got lost trying to find the entrance to a ruin called Wendir. I can't even remember why we were trying to find the place, it was so long ago."

"How long?"  
The woman scanned the fire in front of her, "I was twenty or so at the time, so about six years."

The two men sitting next to her were silent again and the three of them continued to listen to the fire crackle. Every few minutes Valleri could hear a howl or snorting in the distance and she could have sworn she had seen a tall humanoid walking against the horizon.

Farkas finally broke the silence again, voice quieter than before, "Did ever find the place you were looking for."

Valleri paused, "No, we never did. The forest in that part of Cyrodiil is thick; its easy for people to go missing. If you go deep enough, you'll find places where you can't see the sky."

Vilkas finally straightened his back and looked at her with amazement, "You're not joking, huh?"  
Valleri shook head, "Not at all."

"It's a lot like Falkreath I take it?" Vilkas almost huffed. Valleri could now see their breath in the light of the camp fire.

The woman sighed as she looked over to Vilkas, thinking for a moment before answering. "Falkreath appeared lighter, magical even. The Great Forest is a darker place; like there was always something behind me. There used to be towns and old cities before, but they're all abandoned now."

"You obviously must have stuck to the road then," Farkas laughed.

"True."

"What about now?" Vilkas quipped from her side, "Is it different?"  
"Yeah it is. Everything is so open all of a sudden. Like I should be watched but there's nothing else here." Valleri muttered, "I can look around me in all directions and see for miles."

Vilkas glanced up, "Does seeing the sky make you feel better?" Valleri saw a hint of a smile form on the Nord's expression and she couldn't help but feel a bit light hearted. Vilkas made a barely noticeable gesture for her to look up.

"Sort of," Valleri followed his eyes upwards, the paused, "What in oblivion?"  
Above their camp, bright lights dominated the sky. Green and purple hues danced around as the stars seemed to shine behind them. The lights turned the surrounding mountains rainbow and to the Imperial they had taken on a magical appearance. Their shape changed constantly; one moment they would be faint in the sky then suddenly explode like mage's fire. Valleri watched the strange lights with wide eyed wonder for minutes. Vilkas and Farkas just went back to watching the fire; though Vilkas could still see the Valleri's amazement out of the corner of his eyes.

"You've never seen the lights before have you?" Farkas asked offhandedly when he glanced over to Valleri.

She shook her head without looking down, "Never."

Valleri smiled as she continued to look at the lights. These brothers certainly weren't Alastaros and Lexius and Dustman's Cairn was a Nordic ruin in the middle of the tundra, but Valleri didn't feel out of place at that moment. With how things were going so far in this land of snow, she'd be back in Anvil and its familiar marble ruins soon enough. But it didn't hurt to enjoy it while it lasted, right?


	8. Chapter 8

If Valleri compared Bleakfall's Barrow to a well-kept mansion, then Dustman's Cairn would be a small shack. The ruin the trio had been hiking to turned out to be stony mound that was hollowed out only twenty feet into the ground with a small, black door leading into the interior. Valleri had almost missed it in the darkness of early morning. She had laughed when Farkas pointed it out, thinking that the cairn was just a small pile of stones at the foot of the mountain. Instead of laughing along with her, the brothers only stared back at her.

"Are we sure this is the right place?" she muttered again. Vilkas had already started up the side of the cairn's exterior. She squinted as she looked up to him. The sun had started to peek from behind the mountain. Farkas yawned behind her, stretching the muscles in his neck.

Vilkas paused, looking down into the hole, 'It should be, it's in the right place."

"It's tiny though." Valleri put a hand out onto the mossy stone that made up the mound. The stone was pockmarked, bits and pieces falling away onto the ground in small pieces. "The Companions were a big thing back in the day, right?" Valleri shouted and glanced back up Vilkas.

"It still is though," Farkas retorted. He crossed his arms in retaliation as Valleri looked back at him with slight grimace.

"Not as big as we used to be," Vilkas chuckled as he looked towards is brother. The man took a few steps closer to the edge of the hollowed mound. He turned his head calmly towards Valleri, understanding written all over his face, "But that's not the point. You've only been to Bleakfall's. Not everything is that grand."

"Still," Valleri paused. She shifted her weight from foot to foot, feeling unexpectedly exposed under Vilkas' gaze. The woman took a deep breath, "Would the Companions really hide their most famous weapon in a glorified hill?"

"It's not a hill, it's just well hidden." Farkas finally smiled for the first time since they had found Dustman's Cairn and Valleri's sudden anxiety lightened.

"She may have point. This place isn't mentioned in the old stories. Most of the remnants of the original Companions went east or stayed up north."

Valleri laughed internally while she cocked her head to the side and smirked. She knew that Vilkas had caught onto what she was getting at. "Why here then?"

"What are you getting at, Val?" Farkas shot her a confused glance.

Valleri sighed. Of course, she was quickly learning that Farkas was not someone who easily understood hidden meanings behind a person's words right away. She crossed her arms and began to explain, "If it were me and I had to stash an old relic another person was meant to find later on, I wouldn't move it to a place they know nothing about; much less keep it in some dungeon they've never heard of. I'm just saying it doesn't feel right."

She caught Vilkas' gaze, the man looking at her through veiled eyes. "Right, why though?"

"I do this professionally, remember?" Valleri answered plainly. Her hands gripped her arms tighter than she had meant to, feeling accused. Valleri assumed this wasn't what Vilkas had meant to do, but she felt attacked nonetheless.

"Just something people do then," Farkas whispered, looking over to Valleri. He paused, thinking momentarily. "It's probably a trap, Vilkas," the larger Nord almost shouted. He squinted as the sun came around the mountain entirely,

Vilkas shrugged, **"** I'll take Valleri's word for it then."

"Should we turn back?"

 **"** No, we should at least check it out," Vilkas muttered. He looked back towards the mountain momentarily with a grimace. He smiled suddenly, taking a last look down into the hole, "This place might not be a trap."

Valleri chuckled dryly as she started up the side of mound. "So, I'm just crazy then," Valleri muttered under her breath, mostly to herself. She smiled as she followed short distance behind Vilkas.

Vilkas looked back at her suddenly with a look of mock disappointment, "I didn't say that." He smirked again and opened the black door to the interior of Dustman's Cairn. Valleri felt her stomach drop a bit when she stared at Vilkas' back descending into the inky blackness. She stopped at the door way, feeling the pounding in her chest. The woman took in a deep breath before following Vilkas.

Valleri made her way down the short flight of steps, hand dragging along the wall. He eyes adjusted slowly as she saw a dim orange light at the bottom of the steps. Farkas put a hand on her shoulder as the man urged her forward into a small entry chamber. Vilkas was already in the middle of the room by a table, halfheartedly poking a dead dragur with the tip of his boot. The Nord muttered something Valleri couldn't make out. Valleri scanned the room as she made her way behind Vilkas. Empty, open sarcophagi lined the walls, obscuring any old carvings that may have been of interest

"Something's disrupted the dragur. There's pieces of them all over." Farkas quipped as he picked up a decapitated, grey arm. He smiled widely at Valleri as he waved the limb around in the air. Valleri stifled a laugh as Vilkas turned around. She could hear him groan as he shook his head. Farkas, finally reading his brother's expressions, haphazardly tossed the arm onto the table.

Vilkas looked back down at one of the corpses, "Looks like they took whoever was here by surprise. They really made a mess; blood all over." The man gestured at the floor, Valleri noting the glistening, red stains on the floor.

"I'll take it I was right, then," Valleri whispered as she smiled to herself.

"Unfortunately, yes."

Valleri looked up, eyebrows furrowed again. "Do you know who would want to lure you guys here?"

Vilkas looked towards the corridor leading deeper into the ruin, "I have an idea, but it's no promise." He turned back to his companions, expressionless save for a small upwards tilt of his mouth. Valleri breathed in sharply, scanning his face.

Farkas walked past Vilkas and Valleri and towards the next room. "We'll continue on, I guess," the Nord huffed. He disappeared quickly, leaving Valleri looking back to Vilkas.

Vilkas had already turned to face his brother, but Valleri paused, continuing standing in place. He turned back to her, arm reaching out for her shoulder. Valleri breathed out wards, cocking an eyebrow upwards. Vilkas looked down at the floor momentarily and shook his head with anther smile. He turned back towards the corridor with a lighter smile, "Come on, let's go."

…

The trio continued on through the ruin in relative silence. The halls of this ruin were strangely well lighted than Valleri would have expected. But then again, Farkas and Vilkas did suspect that there were others actually waiting for them. They hadn't told her who they suspected and Valleri couldn't help but be a little peeved about it. Sure, she wasn't an actual Companion, but wasn't knowing who had set the trap important information?  
The Imperial woman strode behind Farkas, the three of them walking an orderly single file line. She scanned their surroundings every few minutes. The two men in front of her seemed weirdly calm. Soon enough they came out of the claustrophobic hallways and into a larger chamber. Vilkas paused before entering, tensing ever so slightly. He shot Farkas a concerned glance before continuing on.

Valleri had caught onto the interaction, and if they knew, the men didn't let on.

She followed them into the chamber, continuing to look around for any signs of trouble. Vilkas stood planted in the middle of the room, staring at the opposite end of the chamber. A metal gate was lowered at the only exit out. Vilkas only narrowed his eyes in frustration as he crossed his arms. Valleri approached him, stopping a few feet short. "Not exactly a puzzle, is it?" Valleri quipped, looking forward at the gate. Vilkas only made a small grunt and turned around to look around the rest of the chamber.

She turned around to see him going into a smaller alcove before turning around to see if she could find Farkas. Disappointed that the much larger Nord was nowhere to be found, Valleri began walking closer to the gate. Most of the bars had been rusted and long tendrils of moss hung down. Even if they did find some sort of lever, the damn thing probably wouldn't even go up.

There was a loud clang suddenly and Valleri spun on her heel to see that even the small alcove Vilkas had went into was block off.

"Fuck!"

Valleri hurried over quickly, "You all right?"

Vilkas turned around to face her, eyes narrowed in a glare. "No. No I'm not." Vilkas retorted, expression darkening quickly. If the situation wasn't quiet as serious, Valleri would have laughed.

"What happened?"

"I found a lever." Vilkas craned his neck to check on the other gate. Breathing out he looked back at Valleri, "Go check if it's going up. I'll see if I can find a way out of here."

"I don't think it'll go up quickly. It was-" Valleri paused. There were footsteps behind her, loud a cacophonous. Whoever was in here with them didn't even try to sneak up behind her. Valleri stepped away from the metal gate and turned to face whoever had approached.

In front of her was four people, each dressed in varying armor. Each one of them had glistening swords unsheathed and bared towards her. Valleri inhaled sharply. She understood the look Vilkas had given Farkas earlier. This was the trap; and it wasn't good.

None of the newcomers made any further move. Instead, one of them, a smaller woman, only laughed, "Looks like we got more than we bargained for, lads."

"Personally, I thought they'd send more."  
"Doesn't matter, these two'll be dead in a few minutes. One of 'em already in a cage"  
"Who's the woman though? I don't remember Skinner talking about a woman."  
"Shut your trap, Conrad," The woman barked as she smacked one the others with the butt of her sword. She glanced at Valleri again, making sure not break eye contact, "She came here with him. The bitch'll go down."

Valleri heard Vilkas groan behind her. Her heart started pounding against her chest. The lack of confidence from Vilkas wasn't going to help. Especially if he wanted to make it out of the cage. Valleri scanned the room once more. Shifting her weight from side to side, Valleri internally cursed Farkas.

The woman who seemed to be leading this new group charged at Valleri quickly, sword raised far above her head. Valleri only had a few moments to counter, using her smaller dagger to block the swing. The Imperial woman sidestepped as she unsheathed the sword, slashing at the woman's side. The cut wasn't deep, but it bled nonetheless.

Valleri felt sharp pain as one of the other newcomers slammed the butt of his sword into her right shoulder. She breathed inward sharply, sucking air in though her teeth. Valleri spun on her heel and brought the blade swiftly across his face. The man screeched and fell back, leaving Valleri to face the woman and one more of their friends. The duo charged at her from the front, forcing Valleri backwards into the middle of the room. She could hear Vikas yelling from behind the bars; angry and becoming desperate. The woman lunged forward, sword low and aiming for her side. Valleri sidestepped again, bringing her own sword down on the woman's shoulder. As the hit landed, Valleri could see the other man swing his blade high above her, aiming for her sword arm. The blow hit hard and Valleri felt her sword fall from her hand as her grip lightened for a split second. Valleri cursed and stepped backwards again, trying to recollect herself before the next barrage of attacks. The third and final man came forward, sticking close to the injured woman.

The man who had disarmed Valeri came forward again, raising the dagger up to attempt to block. The man paused as Valleri heard a loud bestial roar. Valleri whipped her head around as she gaped at a large, hairy figure at the far end of the chamber. Valleri could see the other three people were just as stunned as she was.

"Valleri!" Vilkas yelled, "Get out of the fucking way!" The Nord gestured for her to come closer to the bars, eyes glued on the hairy figure across the room. Valleri backed away quickly, only stopping when she felt cold metal against her back.

"What in the oblivion is that?" Valleri muttered, eyes still trained on the figure. It had started running towards the three others, who were still standing in the middle of the room. The woman, slouched on one of her companions, snarled. Valleri looked over to Vilkas, who was also glaring at the beast.

"Not good."

The three others were already charging the beast, each of them swinging their swords wildly. The beast growled in retaliation as it took one large swipe at the first person to try to make a hit. The man flew back, four large gashes bleeding profusely on his chest. The final two screamed one more time and lunged towards their adversary. The beast made quick work of them, Valleri paled as she saw it shed the unfortunate people to smithereens.

Valleri glanced back at Vilkas, still on the other side of the bars, with wide eyes. His initial anger seemed to have lessened, one of his hands no longer gripping the metal bar as hard as he could. He was still glaring daggers as the beast. The woman shifted her weight from foot to foot nervously. The beast stared back at the duo, much calmer than before. Valleri was able to take a better look at the thing in front of her, craning her neck up to meet its eyes.

"Farkas, what were you thinking?" Vilkas questioned, voice thick with frustration. The beast shrugged as Valleri glanced back at the Nord behind her. "What happened to not letting outsiders know?"

Valleri backed away from the two of them, hands coming up in protest. "Listen, I've spent all day being out of the loop. What in name of the divines just happened?"

Vilkas and what was apparently Farkas stared at each other. Vilkas looked back to Valleri, pausing a moment to think about what to say. Valleri narrowed her eyes and stood firmly in place. "Everyone in the Circle all have… beast blood," Vilkas mumbled hesitantly.

Valleri continued to stare at him, before glancing away, "Werewolves?"

"Yeah."  
Valleri breathed in sharply, coming closer to the metal bars to face Vilkas, the Nord, oddly expressionless. "Why would Kodlak let that happen? Don't you guys realize how dangerous this is? I just saw Farkas tear apart three people!" Valleri almost yelled.

"If I remember right, you were losing that battle," the Nord behind the bars muttered under his breath, glancing sideways at the ground.

Valleri's eyes went wide again, "That's not the point!"

"Fine," Vilkas threw his hands up in frustration, "It's a long story, okay? The only people who know are those in the Circle and Kodlak. And you now, apparently," Vilkas stared past Valleri and over to Farkas. He looked back to Valleri with dark, questioning eyes, "Are you going to say anything?"  
Valleri sighed shakily, looking between Farkas and Vilkas. "No," she paused, "It's not my place. Just answer one more question, if that's all right."

"Fine."  
"Who were those people? They know, don't they?"

Vilkas breathed in sharply, "Another long story." Valleri continued to stare at him, accusatory glare boring into him. "They're part of a group called the Silver Hand. A whole bunch of spiteful milk drinkers. Can you finally get me out of here?"  
Valleri's expression softened and she looked up at Farkas nervously. Farkas nodded his head with a what Valleri figured was grin as the two of them went to the other gate, grabbing her discarded sword on the way. As Valleri suspected, the gate had all but rusted into the mossy ground. Valleri glanced back at Vilkas looking back at them expectantly. "Can you see if you can lift the blasted thing? It looks like there's a lever on the other side."

Valleri stood back as Farkas took hold of the metal bars and began lifting. There was a horrible, metallic screech as she watched the werewolf force open the gate. Farkas held it open as Valleri ran through, pulling the lever back as quickly as she could. Vilkas yelled something incomprehensible and followed the two of them out. Valleri looked back as Farkas let the gate down with a crash. Going back would be difficult now.

…

Valleri smiled widely as she opened the chest and found the small iron key lying underneath a bright red pelt. Grabbing it, Valleri turned around and ran through the first door way into a second room. Vilkas turned around to watch the woman forcing the key into the lock then exclaim quietly as it clicked into place. He walked slowly towards her, giving Farkas a light punch on the back to get his attention. Valleri looked back towards him with a smug smirk.

"You were right about the key, but you didn't have to be such an ass about it," Valleri remarked, turning back towards the next corridor. Valleri craned her neck forward then sneered. The walls and ceiling were covered with a thick, sticky layer of webbing.

"I was still right." Vilkas muttered, stopping behind Valleri. He sighed when he saw the webbing. He turned back to Farkas, mouthing an apology. He stepped past Valleri into the hall and stopped again, "Also Valleri, just because you found the blasted key doesn't mean anything."

"Sure," Valleri whispered, stepping forward. She looked back to Farkas, finding that the werewolf had stood nearly frozen in place, "You okay?"  
Farkas made another confusing expression and shrugged. Vilkas turned back to face Valleri, "Farkas isn't usually the best with large, crawly insects."

"Really? I didn't think you'd be tense about stuff like that." Valleri said to Farkas, with a look of mild concern and downturned eyebrows.

Farkas shrugged again, looking at Vilkas behind Valleri. "C'mon. It'll be easier to take care of this ourselves then go forward," Vilkas shouted, turning on his heel to get a better look at the rest of the room.

Valleri covered her nose as she held her blade loosely in her other hand. The stench in the room was pungent and Valleri was amazed that Vilkas wasn't bothered by it. She could hear a scuttling noise behind her. Turning around, Valleri could see a large, pale spider climbing down the webs hanging off the wall. The arachnid made Valleri's skin crawl. She breathed out as she backed up, watching the spider crawl closer to her. The spider reared up, waving its front legs up in the air. Suddenly panicked, Valleri swung her blade wide, taking of parts of the spider's legs. It squealed and fell forward, allowing Valleri to plunge her sword into its head. Valleri kicked the dying insect off her sword, turning on her heel to find Vilkas was wiping iridescent goo off his own blade. Valleri heard a thud as she saw Farkas smack his head into the wall above the short doorway.

Vilkas once again took the lead, Valleri and Farkas following close behind. Their trek was relatively calm, Valleri once again looking at the carvings around them with boredom. Once again, Vilkas led them into a cavernous chamber, though much larger than the room where Valleri had been ambushed by the Silver Hand. At the far end of the burial chamber was another black, curved wall, similar to the one she had seen in Bleakfall's Barrow. Valleri followed Vilkas closer to the wall, stopping just behind a closed sarcophagus in front of the wall. She watched on as Vilkas continued forward, finally taking dark piece of metal from another altar. Valleri looked down as the sarcophagus underneath her started to rumble. She stumbled backwards and the sarcophagus lid burst open, allowing the dragur to rise up. Valleri unsheathed her sword in a fluid motion, brandishing it at the walking corpse.

Valleri swung for the dragur's arm, only for the attack to be deflected by rotting, wooden shield. Out of the corner of her eye, Valleri could see Vilkas turning around as quickly as he could, a wild look of surprise written all over his face. Valleri countered a strike from the dragur, side stepping and swinging again for its other arm. The blow connected and Valleri felt the blade slash through an old tendon. It made a hollow scream and turned around, dropping it's shield as it moved. Again, Valleri could see the dragur begin to swing towards her again. She blocked, but was surprised when she heard Vilkas yelling, about to bring his great sword down across the dragur's shoulder. The undead man slumped forward and Vilkas pulled his blade out of the mummified corpse, "Damn dustmen."

Valleri gave him a quick nod of her head in thanks before looking over to Farkas. The werewolf was being bombarded by more undead adversaries. Valleri didn't hesitate to rush to the beast's aid, sword swinging wildly. The remaining dragur went down easily between the three of them. Valleri took a moment to look around them, in slight disbelief at the pile of musty corpses around them and the furry werewolf standing at her right. Farkas' fur was matted with blood and dust and smelled almost as bad as it looked. She started to walk back towards the altar where Vilkas had found the fragment.

"That's all of them," Vilkas muttered, voice booming off the stone walls.

Valleri leaned against the altar, finding that the fragment was indeed gone, "Well now what?"

Vilkas turned around, making sure not step on any body parts, "We go home."

"What about Farkas?" Valleri questioned, gesturing towards the werewolf walking behind Vilkas, "He can't just walk into the city looking like that."

Vilkas turned his head and gave Farkas a quick look, "It'll be fine, he'll turn back to normal before we make it Whiterun." Farkas grinned once more, making the hair on Valleri's neck stand up. She was never going to get used to that.

"I'll take your word for it," Valleri muttered, watching Vilkas closely as he walked towards the far side of the room towards a set of stairs that presumably led out of the ruin. He halfheartedly wiped some blood off of his face, smudging a red streak across the bridge of his nose. The bright red contrasted brilliantly against his skin, drawing Valleri's eyes to his face. She took a few moments to attempt to tear her eyes away before he noticed. He looked at her quizzically before reaching the top of the stairs and pausing. Valleri chuckled to herself before moving to follow the two of them back to Whiterun.


	9. Chapter 9

They didn't return to Whiterun until much later that night. However, only Valleri and Vilkas had made it into the city. Farkas opted to stay back until his 'time using the beast blood' Vilkas had put it came to an end. As far as Valleri could tell, he had already begun his transformation back into a recognizable human. Vilkas gave him a quick goodbye then started the trek with Valleri back to Whiterun.

Most of the other warriors were out drinking or in bed when the duo walked into Jorrvaskr's main hall. The hall was dimly lit, warped shadows danced on the walls menacingly. Kodlak and Skjor were sitting at the head of the table that dominated the room. Both men were quietly sipping on drinks with grim expressions.

Skjor looked up immediately, meeting Valleri's eyes by accident. She looked away quickly; something about the way the man looked at her made her feel unwanted. He looked back at Vilkas, who was standing apart from Valleri, and spoke, "One of you is missing; what happened?"  
Valleri peeked at Vilkas through the corner of her eye. The man stared past Skjor and over to Kodlak. She could have sworn she saw his eyebrow twitch. "There were some complications."

"Oh?" Skjor cocked an eyebrow, "You did find the fragment though."

"Aye."

"What's the complication then? Did something happen to Farkas?" Skjor's voice was beginning get louder, almost shouting across the room.

Vilkas sighed, mouth curling into a tired frown. "Farkas may not be back until tomorrow morning."  
Skjor turned his head to look at Kodlak sitting across from him with narrowed eyes before glancing over to Valleri. Valleri shifted uncomfortably, internally cursing the situation. She just wanted to sleep. Vilkas only continued to stare at the two men seated at the table, "I think I know what you're getting at," Skjor said finally, voice quiet and distant, "Valleri, you can go. This doesn't concern you."

Valleri sighed in relief as Vilkas shrugged and walked towards the table, digging through his pack for the fragment. Before she could turn to leave, Kodlak spoke, "Actually, Valleri, join us. You were there. We may have questions."

Valleri groaned internally as she strode up to the table, slumping into a seat next to Vilkas. She looked back towards window behind them. It was already dark outside and she didn't know how long this conversation would take. Skjor looked back to the goblet in front of him with a tired look, "What was that complication you mentioned earlier?"  
"Farengar was right about Dustman's Cairn being a trap."  
"Silver Hand?" Skjor muttered, eyes not moving. Vilkas nodded and hummed affirmatively. "I don't see how that's really a problem."

There was silence for several seconds, tense, uneasy silence. "I got separated from the other two when I got ambushed. Farkas came to help then…" Valleri muttered before trailing off.

"Farkas thought it would easier to turn into a werewolf.'

Kodlak looked over to Skjor suddenly, eyes darkening before glancing over to Valleri. The woman squirmed when she met his eyes. "Farkas is skilled enough to take care of a few of the Silver Hand by himself without using the beast blood," Kodlak mumbled. Valleri could see the old man grimace slightly.

"He didn't do it out of spite, he's too honest," Vilkas retorted, "I was stuck behind. Farkas must have thought that it would be simpler that way."

"He shouldn't have been using the beast blood in the first place," Kodlak muttered. His voice was thick with annoyance, garnering a glare from Skjor. Valleri glanced over to Vilkas, suddenly more awake than before. The dark-haired Nord looked uncomfortable with eyes darting back and forth between the two men across the table.

"That's a conversation we shouldn't be having currently, considering present company," Skjor grumbled, looking at Valleri. She scowled in return. "Anyways, we've bigger fish to fry right now."

Kodlak hummed and crossed his arms, "Right. Valleri knows about the beast blood now."

"She's an outsider, it's generally a bad idea to let outsiders now. If the fact that we're werewolves gets out, we're going to be run out of the city."

Valleri felt her scowl deepen, "Don't talk over me as if I'm not here." Vilkas looked over to her with a hint of surprise on his expression. Kodlak only smiled as he turned his head to look over to Valleri. Valleri slouched back in her seat and crossed her arms in retaliation.

"You're right. How do you feel about this recent discovery?" Kodlak spoke clearly as he addressed Valleri.

The Imperial woman sighed. She glanced over to Vilkas, who was also looking down at Valleri with an expression of reluctance. She felt her scowl melt into thoughtfulness. Finally, Valleri met Kodlak's stare, "If I'm being honest, I was frightened at first. It was sudden and if for any reason I'm the target of one of you while you're in that bestial form, I wouldn't survive," Valleri paused and glanced down, "But, I'm already here and I still want to find the monsters that killed my friends. I told you that trust doesn't come easily, so if I can trust you to help me my find them, please trust me enough not to tell anyone about you being werewolves. Please." Valleri thought she was begging by the time she stopped talking, but she couldn't care. Especially after winning Kodlak's approval.

Skjor breathed outwards in frustration before moving his gaze from Valleri to Kodlak, "No reason not to believe her," the man said under his breath. Kodlak nodded and Valleri let herself breath. Skjor looked back to Vilkas and Valleri with a softer expression, "I'm giving you two have the next few days off, considering that you've had a lot of unexpected jobs recently. Enjoy yourselves; the Kyne Festival should be going on soon enough."

"I'm going to bed then," Valleri muttered, chair clattering as she got up. Vilkas followed her quickly, walking a few paces behind her. She could feel exhaustion flowing into her shoulders as she neared the door leading to the bunkroom.

Vilkas stopped her before she walked in, turning her head to face him. "I appreciate what you said to Kodlak. It's brave to say that you fear nothing, braver still to face your fears," Vilkas said, voice shaky.

Valleri smiled uneasily; the feeling that something similar had happened before washing over her. "It was no problem. Lying to people like you and Kodlak doesn't seem right, " she chuckled, "I'll see you tomorrow." Valleri turned quickly and disappeared into the room.

"Rest well," Vilkas nearly whispered, a small smile forming on his lips as he turned away.

…

It felt like it had been forever since the last time Valleri woke up feeling completely rested. The last time she could remember of the top of her head was the night before she left Anvil. Valleri breathed out before opening her eyes, still pretending she was laying under familiar, cleaner blankets. Valleri's heart dropped when she willed her eyelids open to see a stony wall in front of her. Valleri sighed.

She left the bunkroom quickly, taking the stairs up to the main hall with more energy than she expected. Valleri glanced out the window; the sun was already up. The main hall was empty still and she didn't see anyone outside the window. Valleri smiled to herself and took a seat at the table.

Valleri only sat for a few moments before she was joined by several others. Valleri peeked at them from the corner her eye. Farkas, Vilkas, and Athis sat down at the other end of the table, the twins speaking softly. Valleri could only pick up bits and pieces of their conversation, but nothing important. Athis was almost completely silent, answering Farkas and Vilkas with a monotone voice.

Farkas was his old self again, not the imposing, hairy beast he had been in Dustman's Cairn. Valleri was relieved, especially after the previous night's conversation. Farkas noticed her staring and his eyes went wide with excitement. "Val! You're up," the Nord exclaimed, excited smile plastered on his face.

Valleri groaned internally. "When did you get back?"

Farkas slouched back into his seat and glanced over to Vilkas, "Early this morning. It was still dark out."

"Have you slept yet?" Valleri cocked an eyebrow as she stared at Farkas.

"Nope, not at all." Farkas laughed dryly. Vilkas looked at his brother with mild concern while Athis stifled chuckle.

"Where were you even? I thought Vilkas and Valleri got back last night," Athis glanced over to Farkas.

Valleri looked over to the two Nords nervously, catching Vilkas' glance. "I got distracted fighting a giant," Farkas muttered, eyes not moving from Vilkas and Valleri. Valleri didn't move; she spied Athis scowling out of the corner of her eye.

"I'm not surprised," Athis muttered. Valleri looked at the table and breathed out. "Too bad you two didn't back him up; it could have been fun."

Vilkas shook his head, "Nah, there's a thing such as too much fun. Besides, Farkas seemed to have handled it well enough."

Farkas furrowed his eyebrows as he glared at his brother, "I handled it perfectly."

Vilkas laughed, tension leaving the room finally, "Sure you did," he looked over to Valleri, "Skjor gave the three of us a few days off."

"Wait really?" Athis stared the three of them with a look of confusion. "That doesn't sound right."

Vilkas breathed in sharply, "Actually, Farkas, that might not be right. Skjor probably wants to talk to you about the last few days."

"Well, damn."

Valleri smiled lightly and looked at the trio across the table, "That's what you get for running off." Valleri slouched against the table, reaching for a jug of water stuck in the middle of the table. She huffed once more as she poured the cold water into a nearby goblet. She looked down the table, eyebrows furrowed downwards.

"The Kyne Festival's tomorrow, if I remember correctly. Good timing," Athis muttered, mostly to himself.

"Kodlak must have planned it," Farkas muttered. His smile slowly came back. "It'll be a nice break."

"You're planning on making a move finally?" Athis asked, glancing over to Vilkas who was starting to smirk to himself.

"About time. Ysolda's been here almost two years," Vilkas motioned with his hand, smirk growing wider suddenly. He looked down the table towards Valleri, smirk softening. The woman only gave him a small shake of her head and chuckled.

"What is the Kyne festival exactly?" Valleri asked, voice stumbling to find a spot in the other's conversations. Vilkas and Farkas looked over at her with confused expressions. Athis smacked Farkas on the arm lightly, eliciting a small grunt from the Nord.

Vilkas took the hint, "It's a festival for Kyne. In the name"

"Kynareth?" Valleri paused, glancing at the table before looking back at Vilkas, "I thought her feast was in Rain's Hand."

Vilkas scowled momentarily, "It's a local festival here in Whiterun honoring the older goddess," Vilkas paused, looking at Valleri staring at the table in front of her with furrowed eyebrows, "Kyne was the mother of Nords and the tree in the middle of the square is sacred to her."

"Different goddess then?" Valleri muttered, meeting Vilkas' eyes once more.

"Yeah, something like that. Danica could explain it better," Vilkas retorted. He watched Valleri get up from the table and stretch. Her hair fell away, and Vilkas could see freckles descending downward.

"It should be fun then." Valleri said finally before heading outside, Vilkas' gaze following the woman as she left.

…

The mead was flowing like water by the time sun had dipped down below the horizon. Vilkas was halfway sure he was already tipsy; he felt much looser than usual and people were actually tolerable. Most of the older citizens of Whiterun were gathered in the square under the Gildegreen, lanterns hanging from the lower branches. This was only the third year the festival had been held since the tree had been restored. Whiterun was beginning to get into the swing of things again.

Vilkas could spy Valleri out of the corner of his eye towards the base of the old tree. He hadn't seen much of her since they got back from Dustman's Cairn, their conversation the previous morning being the most they had spoken for some time. The Imperial was smiling widely while talking with Ysolda and one of the local bards. Her eyes were bright and present; not defensive like he had seen so many times before. She caught his eye and laughed, making the man scowl and look down. He had been caught.

Vilkas looked over across the lane; Farkas had been caught up by some old man probably pestering him about Jorrvaskr. He sighed. Farkas had more important things to do tonight.

Taking a final, deep swig of his drink, Vilkas handed the stein to some poor sod and sauntered over to his brother. Farkas saw him immediately and smiled nervously. Vilkas sighed, "Is everything okay over here?"

The guard captain, a short, balding Imperial man Vilkas could never remember the name of, swung an arm over Farkas' shoulder. The larger Nord gave him an uncomfortable grimace while trying to wriggle free. "Perfectly fine, my good lad. Just asking your brother here here why you guys continue to work in Whiterun proper!" the man exclaimed. He swung his arm out dramatically, losing whatever was left of his drink. "You're not letting the city guard do their job!"

Vilkas groaned internally while Farkas that screamed at him to help. "You should talk to Skjor about that, he's a member of the Circle."

"Aren't you two also part of the Circle or the Council or whatever it is you guys are called?"

"The Circle," Vilkas muttered under his breath. Maybe some people weren't entirely tolerable tonight. "Listen, Kodlak needed to talk to Farkas. It sounded important and we don't make it a habit to keep him waiting," Vilkas retorted, glowering at the Imperial.

The guard captain stared at him before bursting out with laughter. "Fine, fine. Just trying to have a conversation," the man griped as he walked away.

Farkas breathed out in relief, finally meeting his brother's eyes with an anxiety filled glare, "That was worse than listening to Vignar."

"Don't mention it," Vilkas patted Farkas on the shoulder, "Have you talked to her yet?"

Farkas shook his head, "Not at all. You know how I just lose the words when ever I try to speak?" he paused, noting Vilkas' confused glance, "It's like that but with feet."

"It'll be fine. Just make sure to get your question in before someone else does."

Farkas furrowed his eyebrows, "Wait, what?"  
"I saw that Mikael fellow go up and talk to her."

Vilkas saw the color disappear from Farkas's face, "Fuck." Farkas turned back towards his brother, jaw clenched, "I thought he was after the fruit vendor! You don't think he'd make a move for Ysolda?"

"I wouldn't put it past him. He's slept with most of the serving girls at Dragonsreach and I thought I heard something about him and Hulda," Vilkas trailed off, "Probably not too late if you go now."

"You're right," Farkas gulped.

"Here, I'll go with you; diffuse the situation a bit." The Nord muttered, eyes catching another glimpse at Valleri. The woman was now smiling nervously as she talked with Ysolda and the bard. Unfortunately, Mikael was staring mostly at the taller Nord woman, longer than what would have been considered appropriate.

The brothers made their way to the small group relatively quickly; if only Farkas hadn't taken such a round about way to get to the other side of the plaza. The love-struck Nord made a small waving gesture as Valleri turned her head to see them coming. She breathed out in relief as Vilkas stopped next to her. Ysolda also seemed to be less nervous, moving away from the bard and closer to Valleri.

"Greetings gentleman! How do you find the festival?" Mikael exclaimed, wide smile failing to hide his annoyance. His plans for that night were probably ruined.

"Wonderful actually. It always seems to get better as the night wears on too," Vilkas retorted, staring down at the Imperial man. Mikael crossed his arms with a huff; making Vilkas stifled a laugh.

"Festivals typically do. I was just telling Ysolda though that people usually start to leave around now. I offered to walk her back to her home." Mikael smirked, eyeing Farkas devilishly.

Farkas grumbled something undiscernible and Ysolda glanced between the two men, "Uh, I think I'd like to stay actually."

Vilkas could see a spark of hope light up in Farkas' eyes when he finally spoke up, "Right, I needed to talk to Ysolda abut something."

"Oh! That's perfect! All the more reason to stay." Ysolda almost yelled.

Mikael laughed dryly, "Bu we could go to the Bannered Mare, no one's there. I'll get some wine, maybe a bit of food, some music. It'll be like another festival." He grabbed onto her shoulder, fingers grabbing onto the fabric of her dress tightly, "C'mon, it'll be like we're still here."

Farkas inhaled sharply before muttering an apology. In a quick, fluid motion Vilkas could see his brother land a hit of the bard's face. Ysolda gasped as she and Vilkas stared at Farkas at disbelief and Vilkas could hear Valleri burst out laughing.

Farkas stepped back, eyes not leaving Ysolda. Breathing out sharply, he seemed to have regained his composure, "I actually have to talk to you about something. Can we talk in private?"

Ysolda stared at him blankly for a moment. She glanced at Mikael groaning on the ground than looked back to Farkas. "Absolutely. Let's go," The woman grabbed onto Farkas' hand and led him out away from the crowd.

Vilkas glanced back at Valleri to his side. the Imperial woman had ceased laughing and was poking Mikael with her boot. The bard was out cold after landing hard on the stone floor and would have more than a hangover the next morning.

Valleri looked back towards Vilkas, smiled still wide, "That was amazing."

"Aye," he paused, "I certainly wasn't expecting that. I think that'll help though."

Valleri chuckled, "One could only hope." Vilkas smirked, knowing full well that she was right. Farkas was never very skilled with words nor women. The two of them stood silent for some time before they were joined by a passing Vignar. The old man nearly tripped on Mikael and spilled his drink on the ground. He muttered something and kicked the passed-out bard hard in the ribs.

Vilkas could see Valleri cock an eyebrow and turn to stop Vignar, "Excuse me, but I didn't quite catch that."

"Stupid Imperials making a mockery out of our ancient traditions." Vignar spat.

Valleri breathed out, her eyebrows furrowing, "Aren't you doing sort of the same thing?"

"Not at all! I still practice the old ways, I don't take this festival lightly like you milk drinking foreigners," Vignar paused, a snarl forming over his face, "The Empire made a mockery out us all when they surrendered to those pointy eared bitches. Now you Imperials disrespect our traditions and get all bitchy when you fucking weaklings can't finish a fight."

Valleri looked at the old man in disbelief, "Wait up a moment, what are you going on about?"

"You should know, you're one of them," Vignar paused, "Imperials only brings problems where ever they go, be it the war of those damnable elves!"

"Why in oblivion are you lumping all Imperials together? Most of us don't even want the civil war, let alone care enough to pay attention," Valleri retorted, "We didn't even start it!"  
"So you say. You're probably just leading the Thalmor into the city, using that story of you almost dying as fucking cover," Vignar snarled, looking Valleri straight in the eyes, "When those Thalmor dogs come after you, and when they do, I'll be the first one to throw you to them." The Nord spun on his heel and disappeared into the crowd before Valleri could get another word in.

Vilkas looked down at Valleri finally. The woman was shaking; out of anger or frustration, he couldn't tell. He stepped backwards as Valleri turned around to face him, eyes wide and watery. She breathed inwards. "Old man's just drunk. You know how people are."

"Still no excuse. No fucking excuse," Valleri muttered under her breath. She met his gaze momentarily. The woman shook her head and stormed off suddenly and Vilkas could only stand in place. He watched her back disappear into the darkness towards Jorrvaskr. The Nord could feel a pit in his stomach and there was a sour taste in his mouth.

Vilkas was going to follow her.


	10. Chapter 10

Valleri stared over the training yard from her spot on the edge of the Skyforge. The yard was dark, almost black, compared to the pool of light that made up the plaza towards her right. Her breath was shaky; anything she tried to do to calm down wasn't working. Valleri had no idea why she had gotten so upset about what the old man had said. Vilkas was right, the man was obviously drunk and drunk people said foolish things.

But when that man mentioned the Altmer and the death of her friends, Valleri couldn't stand it. Rage welled up inside of her chest almost immediately, but when he turned, it melted. The rageful, hateful feeling was replaced with a cold emptiness, a memory of Masser and Secunda on her first night alone. It was a lonely feeling Valleri had suspected was there since her friends had died.

Valleri wasn't ready to face them yet; not yet.

Valleri didn't hear the footsteps behind her until her companion stopped almost right behind her. Vilkas sat down on the stone with a grunt. He breathed in then turned to look at her. His grey eyes were apologetic but Valleri felt none of it. "It took me a while to find you, I thought you'd be down in the bunkroom. Vignar was… out of line. He's drunk, but you're right. It was no excuse," the Nord trailed off.

"Vilkas?"  
"Yeah?"  
Valleri felt a lump in her throat, dry and cracked, "What am I doing here?"  
The man shrugged, turning his head to view the festival below, "Can't really say for sure but probably hiding away from the others."

Valleri shook her head. She scowled, frustration began to boil over, "No, what am I doing? I thought I was going into Dwemer ruins with Alastaros and Lexius, looking for one of the last great relics of the Merethic. How did I end up here?"

"What's wrong with 'here'?"

Valleri's head whipped around, curls flying haphazardly in her face. She breathed out with a snarl. Vilkas continued to stare at her with only hint of interest. "Didn't you see what just happened? I was accused of a crime I had nothing to do with and threatened to be handed over to dictator elves. I was scared to even come here in the first place because of that but this was my only option, and now all I know is that I was right," Valleri was almost yelling at him by the time she stopped, scowl fading into a tight-lipped frown, "Maybe I should just cut my losses and go back to Anvil."

Neither of them said anything for several minutes as Valleri tried to recompose herself again. The woman drew her knees close to her chest. Flax curls covered her arms as she laid her head on her legs and breathed out shakily. Vilkas stared upwards and moonlight hit his face, illuminating pale skin. He began to speak softly, "You talk a lot about how wonderful Alastaros and Lexius were. What were they like?"

Valleri glanced at him confusedly, "Excuse me?" Vilkas could see tear tracks running down her face.  
The corner of his lips curled upwards in a small smirk, "There's at least one reason you're still here, looking for the people that murdered them. Come on, what is it?"

Valleri breathed outwards shakily and looked forward into the darkness. She sat still for a moment. Her frown turned serious as Valleri contemplated what to say. Finally, Valleri spoke in a steady, quiet voice, "Lexius was my brother," she paused, looking at Vilkas, but continued before he could fill the silence, "Not like you and Farkas though. We weren't related really but he treated me like we were. Alastaros helped bail him out of a life sentence in the Imperial City before taking him in. I never heard the full story but Lex was good at finding things, getting into places. Stuff like that. Stupid, annoying Lex."

"What about Alastaros? He was an elf, right?"

Valleri finally smiled, even if it was slight, "Yeah. He left Alinor years before the war because of his research on ancient elves. He wasn't in the good graces of the Synod, so all of his expeditions were looked down on as useless or illegal. Never stopped him though."

"Sounds like your friends had questionable habits," Vilkas grimaced a bit, but Valleri's grin only grew wider.

Valleri chuckled to herself, "Can't deny that." She paused, looking up at the sky with a wistful expression, "Alastaros always said that the works of geniuses were rarely appreciated in their time. He was right though. My father was right."

"You considered him your father?"  
Valleri breathed out, "Gladly. That stupid elf took me away from a life as just another priestess; gave me a reason to live when I didn't have one. I'd say that's deserving enough."

Vilkas glanced at her with furrowed eyebrows, "What about your blood father?" He paused, looking over to Valleri. She stared at him with a grimace and Vilkas could feel himself begin to panic. Vilkas recomposed himself quickly and started again with an even tone, "Kodlak may be the man who raised my brother and I, but Jergen was there first regardless. I feel no particular love for the man, but I can at least acknowledge him."  
Valleri shook her head. "No, I can't. You grew up with stories and a name. For all I know he could have been a monster. Alastaros was there for me though. Stupid elf was still supposed to be here…" the woman trailed off, grimace growing as her mouth became a thin line. Vilkas could see her starting to shiver.

The man sighed, continuing to look at their surroundings. The festival down below was beginning to die down as people made their way back to their respective homes. Danica would begin to clean up what was left of the festival, opting to take down the lanterns when she was sober again. "What about you?"  
"What?"  
Vilkas tilted his head to the side, "If you go back to Anvil, you won't be here for them. Their killers won't pay the weregild unless you find them. At the very least make them pay," He smirked as he looked back over to Valleri.

The woman sighed as she began to stand up. She stretched, humming all the while with a small smile and tired eyes, "You're right. They'd do the same for me." Valleri looked down to Vilkas, grin widening, "Thank you, friend."

Vilkas froze but soon shook his head, "It's the truth. The least I can do is help you see it." Valleri proffered a hand out to him, offering to help him up from his seat on the stone. "I think I'll stay here for a while," Vilkas muttered.

Valleri sighed, turning on her heel with a laugh, "Fine, you stubborn Nord. Just don't stay out in the cold too late." She could hear him stifle a laugh as she went down the steps. For some reason, the night time chill wasn't as bad as earlier and the lump in Valleri's throat was no longer there. The pit in her stomach was, but she could handle it now. Valleri felt that avenging the deaths of her friends was no longer the best option, but her determination was reignited. She could handle it. She could face it.

…

Vilkas could smell Farkas coming down the hall towards their bunkrooms. It wasn't a bad scent, just Farkas; no steel, no sweat, and no blood. It was easy for him to pick out his brother in the myriad of other people in the basement. Farkas was one of the only stable things in his life and Vilkas was always keenly aware of his absence.

Farkas rounded the corner and stopped at the entrance leading into Vilkas' room. The man was smiling widely as he leaned on the door jam. Vilkas turned from his seat to face him with a tired look of confusion, "Is everything okay?"

Farkas beamed brighter, "Yep!"

"Ysolda said yes, huh?" Vilkas muttered, turning his attention back to the book he was skimming before Farkas came in to bother him

"Absolutely she did!"

"That's wonderful," Vilkas replied with disinterest, "So, what does that mean exactly?"

Farkas paused, smile fading momentarily, "I dunno, we're officially courting I guess. I'm excited though."

"You should be. Ysolda might be the one for you."

Farkas smiled meekly, "I sure hope so; she's so wonderful though, and sweet, and strong and..." Farkas began to trail off and staring off into space.

Vilkas nodded and continued to scan the pages of book before flipping forward. Farkas stood watching him with a blank expression. Vilkas glanced up at him with a grimace, "Did you need something."

"Not really," Farkas muttered, "Are you happy though?"

"Excuse me?" Vilkas' frown deepened as he set the book down beside him.

"You're almost thirty."

"You are too, Farkas. Don't forget we have the same birthday."

Farkas looked on nervously, "Not what I meant. I've never seen you take an interest in anybody outside of a fling. At this rate you're going to end up alone."

"What's wrong with that?" Vilkas growled as he glared at Farkas.

"Aren't you lonely?"

Vilkas paused looking down to his lap. He thought of Valleri up on the Skyforge telling him about her family, the way she spoke with such warmth. He could see the way she looked on with longing when she talked about Anvil and the Gold Coast. The way she talked about Alastaros and Lexius was pitiful; she knew it to, but she had to be honest. She was lonely here in Skyrim without them.

Maybe deep down Vilkas felt similarly. There was no reason for him to feel that way though. He had grown up in Whiterun and everybody he cared for was still alive. There was no basis for such feelings.

"You're a fool, Farkas. I'm not lonely."

Farkas sighed, "If you say so. I'll see you tomorrow."

Vilkas watched his brother turn around and walk into his room before the door closed. He took the book back and tried to read again. He may have occasionally missed people while they were gone, but that wasn't loneliness. Vilkas would never be lonely.

…

The woman was still sitting on the back porch, sipping on some left-over mead. She swished the golden liquid around in the goblet, watching the torch light glint off the sides of the goblet. She sighed, sleep wasn't going to come tonight; too much alcohol always made her more aware of the beast blood pulsing through her, if that was even possible.

Finally, she could hear her companion trudge along the side of the mead hall. The man was probably intoxicated as well. Everybody who had partaken of the festival earlier in the evening was drunk on some level. The man rounded the corner and waved. The woman smiled.

"Are we sure about this? We should probably wait until we're a bit more sober."

The woman laughed, "The hunt has a way of doing that already. We've done it before in much more inebriated states. Remember last year?" The man grunted in reply and the woman continued, "Besides it's not like we're up against an army. Just a few trolls, maybe a giant, and we're done."

The man shook his head and waited for the woman to join him. "If this gets out, Kodlak will have some things to say."  
"He always does. Didn't you hear him getting on Farkas for what happened with Valleri?"  
"The old man's on edge. We should take it easy for a bit."  
The woman glared at the man, "He won't find out. I'm going to go regardless." She slung her bow over her shoulder and began towards the city gate. The man huffed and started to follow, but didn't bother to catch up.

The field was vast in front of them and the woman started off into a sprint. There was no feeling quite like the freedom of running off into the night. There were no cities or laws or people to stop her from doing as she pleased. If she didn't have so many people in the city she cared about, the woman would have started living out here in the wilderness a long time ago. Responsibility was a funny thing.

Soon enough the man caught up to her and the two of them continued on together. It wasn't long before they found something hiding in the scrub brushes of the tundra. It was nearly impossible for anything to hide effectively on the plain but the woman had to give the misguided troll credit for trying. The two of them took joy in the chase, the troll leading them west. The terrain began to drop steadily. The woman steeled herself as she slid down cliff faces.

Suddenly there was a grunt behind her. The man sat grimacing at the bottom of the rock face, cradling his calf. The woman cursed loudly as she saw the small figures coming at them from the horizon. They were surrounded quickly.

The distance between her and the new group was too close for her to be effective with the bow she had on her back and a small knife wasn't going to be any good. She was about ready to start the transformation when she heard a snarling behind her. The man was already ahead of her.

It wasn't long into the battle that she saw the man beast struck down. His fur was matted with blood and red was streaming down his chest. Most of the blood was from those of the ambush party, but the woman was sure some of it was his. The man beast was slowing down. She began to feel her arms and back tingle as she began her own transformation. This situation may be becoming dire quickly, but that didn't mean she didn't have her own tricks.

The transformation had only just begun when she felt a crack against her skull and all she saw black.


	11. Chapter 11

Valleri pulled her cloak closer around her shoulders as she made her way through the market. It was surprisingly busy considering how inebriated the whole city seemed to have gotten the night before. Valleri felt like an extreme light weight when she compared herself to the Nords of Whiterun. The package underneath under her arm shifted uncomfortably as the Imperial woman tried to hurry away from the general store. Something about smug merchants always got under her skin.

Valleri stopped suddenly before running into the back of a much larger Nord. She smiled to herself when she recognized the choppy black hair.

Vilkas turned around when he finally noticed her, eyebrows furrowed, "Apologies, I didn't realize you were there."

The woman laughed dryly, "Don't worry about it too much. What are you doing out though? This was supposed to be our last day off."

Vilkas cocked an eyebrow, "What'd you expect I'd be doing?"  
"Not inspecting vegetables," Valleri muttered under her breath, half way hoping that he didn't quite catch that.

"Tilma asked me pick up some things for dinner tonight. Still official Companions business as far as you're concerned," Vilkas retorted. He grimaced as he started to walk closer to the stalls.

Valleri breathed in sharply then smirked. "Can I join you? I could help you carry some things back."

Vilkas turned to face her, grimace fading, "I won't stop you." He waited for her to join him, smirking while he watched. Valleri sighed while she readjusted the package under arm.

Vilkas stopped at the vegetable vendor, quickly picking out the provisions as Valleri started to converse with the woman working the stand.

The vendor unexpectedly turned to Vilkas, "I saw what your brother did to Mikael last night. I wanted to thank him."  
Vilkas looked up at the woman with a confused expression, "What for?"

"That stupid bard has been bothering me for months. It was nice to see him get what was coming, even if it was just plain violence," the woman laughed, handing Vilkas a few leeks.

"I feel obligated to let you know that he mostly just did it for his own benefit," Vilkas smiled nervously, "He had it coming though."

"I'm just wondering when someone will finally run him out of town," the woman almost spat. Valleri winced at the words, a reaction Vilkas caught onto quickly.

"That's a bit harsh, even for him," Vilkas retorted, narrowing his dark eyebrows. He quickly parceled out a few septims and handed them to the woman

The woman laughed dryly, nervously, "That's rather out of character for you. Did something happen last night?"  
Vilkas peeked at Valleri to his side. The Imperial woman was still grimacing, but only he seemed to have noticed the expression, "Sort of. I'm in a bit of hurry, I'll talk to you some other time." The Vegetable gave him a disappointed stare as the duo walked off.

"Were leeks and potatoes the only thing you needed from her?" Valleri asked, following behind him. Her voice seemed quieter than she had meant it to be.

"That's all Tilma asked for. Apart from the lamb," Vilkas trailed off, pace slowing as he thought. He turned back to Valleri and handed her the small basket of vegetables. She took them with a smile and readjusted her package. He eyed her inquisitively, "Where did you end up going?"  
"Just over to the general store. Had a few things to pick up."  
"Like what?"

Valleri chuckled, mood lifted, "Are you really that curious?" Vilkas kept staring at her with a cocked eyebrow and Valleri sighed, "Fine. I had to get some candles and a pitcher."

Vilkas frowned, "Why not just use one from Jorrvakr?"

"I couldn't find any silver, for specific reasons unbeknownst to the good people of Whiterun," Valleri said with a playful smile. Vilkas only shook his head, smirking all the while. She laughed, "I need it for a small ceremony in a few days."

"What for though? There're no holidays for a while," he looked at the sky momentarily then added, "Unless it's personal."

"It's a feast day for Dibella, though I tend to just burn a candle and leave a fresh pitcher of water at a shrine. I like to keep it simple."

"I didn't think you'd be too interested in the whole religion, chapel thing considering what you told me last night."

Valleri sighed, biting the inside of her lip, "You'd think so, huh?" she paused, "There was a priestess who started at the chapel a year or two before left. She told me about a more obscure sect of Dibella worshippers that wasn't exactly affiliated with the Temple of the Divines."

"So, it's like Nords who worship Kyne instead of Kynareth when they're actually the same thing?"

"Sort of," Valleri grimaced. She felt as if the comparison didn't quite fit, but at least Vilkas understood what she meant.

"What's the sect devoted to exactly?" Vilkas muttered while he started to look over another vendor.

"What?"

"Different sects typically venerate certain aspects of their chosen divine. Dibella encompasses a lot, right?" He glanced over to her. She could see the boredom on his expression plainly; he didn't bother hiding it.

"Primarily the feminine aspect, though I do remember learning some Dibellan mysteries when I was a bit older," Valleri stifled a chuckle as she looked towards the ground, "Those were some crazy days."

This time, Vilkas' expression lit up, eyebrows jumping almost to his scalp. Valleri could barely look at him, grin plastered to her face. Vilkas coughed, eyeing her conspicuously, "What the fuck were they having you do?"

"There's nothing to worry about; it was all consensual."

"By the eight, woman," Vilkas could see the vendor eavesdropping from across the both; the poor elf's face was beet red. Vilkas could at least hurry up and complete the transaction. Valleri, for her part, was perfectly composed; he asked and she answered. Vilkas looked back down to Valleri as they started to walk back to Jorrvaskr. He could barely contain his nervous laughter, "You probably shouldn't let that particular piece of information out. People tend to get skittish about religion these days and might get…"

"The wrong idea?" Valleri cut him off, all evidence of her grin completely wiped away. "Don't worry, I'm used to that. Alastaros; nope, many people in the chapel weren't especially fond of my spiritual choices either."

They were silent for a long while before Valleri stopped behind Vilkas, looking down with a worried look. Something new was on her mind; Valleri didn't bother to hide it as she stood underneath the Gildegreen. Vilkas turned to face her, "Something wrong?"

"No, nothing's wrong per se. It's just that…" Valleri paused, her eyebrows furrowing even more. "What you said in the market, and last night especially; it was kind."

The Imperial's eyes finally met Vilkas but he didn't move. Instead he frowned, "It's nothing to thank me for, people shouldn't…"

"Shut up for a second," Valleri snapped, bridging the gap between the two off them while she still held his gaze. "You're not required to be nice, nobody is. Last night is a perfect example. Vilkas, you made an effort to be a decent human being whether you aware of it or not."

The Nord felt goosebumps rise on his skin as Valleri continued to glare him. Vilkas wanted to say something badly, but couldn't bring himself too. The Imperial's green eyes were so… genuine. Vilkas wouldn't even think of admitting that they made him feel even a tab bit guilty. Never.

"Just accept the fucking thanks and let it be. I need some one to call a friend in this thrice damned province and you're proving to be the only one I can actually trust."

The words that just spilled out of Valleri's mouth felt heavy in the air. Vilkas looked downwards, finding any excuse to get those eyes off of him. "Fine; I'll accept. But I'm not expecting to completely do everything you ask." Vilkas muttered, he looked back at her, back straightened and a corner of his lips was curling upwards. "You're a pain Valleri, but a good pain."

Valleri beamed brightly as she mumbled something Vilkas couldn't pick up and rushed up the stone steps leading up to Jorrvaskr. What did he just agree to?

…

Valleri saw Kodlak first when she went to drop of the vegetables with Tilma. She hid her own package outside in an empty barrel to avoid any mishaps with the resident werewolves. If Valleri was going to be privy to the secret, she may as well respect it. Unfortunately, the silver she needed for the ceremony wouldn't sit well with those in the Circle.

The old man called her over with a hand gesture and a smile. Valleri didn't feel the pit in her stomach she typically noticed when she talked to the man. Kodlak wasn't mean or horrible, but he was intimidating. Something about authority never quite sat well with her.

"Did you need something?' Valleri laughed nervously. The woman chider herself internally.

"Yes, I did," Kodlak replied, catching onto Valleri's micro expression. The old man smiled a bit in return, but Valleri could only see it as a grimace through his thick, white beard. "Let's go downstairs, there's more privacy there."

Valleri nodded and followed the Harbinger to the back room, the room she had first seen him and Vilkas speaking in the day she joined. It was still opulently decorated compared to the rest of the mead hall; books littered the table and shelves around her. She could recognize old journals and diaries from around the leaf litter. Valleri sighed, reminded of Alastaros; the elf's office was very much the same way.

Kodlak motioned to the seat next to him with a quick gesture and waited for Valleri to be seated before he began. "It's well past the time we spoke to each other properly. Vilkas has told me of what you've been going through briefly, though that can't paint the larger picture." He paused, a grim light cast in his eyes, "Valleri, you're not one to divulge information easily; however, now I need to know more about what happened that night."

Valleri gulped; why now of all times? Valleri steadied herself, looking into the space in front of her. She felt sick as she spoke, "It's hard to recall, it was evening and the initial attack was quick."

"Who was with you?"

"My colleagues. A Redguard, Lexius, and an Altmer, Alastaros. Lexius and I were armed when it happened, but we weren't nearly as prepared as we should have been."  
"Have any of you ever been in Skyrim previously?"

"Lexius was here about four months prior to our expedition. I'm not entirely sure what he was doing, only that he was primarily traveling near Markarth," Valleri finally looked up to Kodlak, "Listen, Lexius may have been a reckless idiot, but I don't think it was someone looking for revenge. It was too random."

Kodlak didn't say anything for a while and Valleri tried to steady her breathing. She could feel her heart pounding against her chest, "Do you have any details about the bandits who attacked you?"

"There were three of them; two Nords and an Argonian."

"This was in Falkreath hold correct?"

"Yeah, I don't remember where specifically though. A couple of farmers brought me into their home some while I was still unconscious. I couldn't tell you were they drug me off from."

Kodlak crossed his arms and leaned back against the seat, "I'd like to thank you for that; details don't come easily."

Valleri nodded her head and made to leave. She turned towards Kodlak, "Why now though? I've been here nearly a month and only now you ask me what happened."

She watched Kodlak chuckle to himself, "You didn't really believe that I had forgotten about you?" The grin on Kodlak's face faded, "I've been trying to contact the guard in Falkreath. That hold is known for its particularly high number of bandits. They might know something."  
"You'd think they'd have done something about it already though, right? Who'd stand for that?" Valleri seethed.

"Falkreath isn't known for initiative. The Jarl there is young and not entirely concerned with well-being of his subjects."  
Valleri opened her mouth to say something, but was interrupted. Kodlak stood up with jolt when he heard the yelling upstairs. Valleri didn't look back as she started spiriting across the room towards the stairs. Dread filled the pit in her stomach and Valleri slowed her pace as she ascended the last few stairs. Kodlak pressed his hand into her shoulder as he stopped next her moments later. The Imperial's eyes went wide as she saw what people were yelling about.

In the middle of the room, she could see Aela all but tossing what Valleri was sure was Skjor to the ground. The man was covered in dark red. much like his female companion. There was a sick, limp thud when he finally hit the floor. Vilkas was there with them, pulling off what was left of the man's armor. Skjor gritted his when he jolted awake and saw the ragged gashes all over his body.

Valleri looked at Kodlak above her; the man wasn't bothering to hide his wrathful disappointment. She followed him only to the outside wall and stopped. Kodlak continued on, quickly taking Skjor back into side room along with Tilma. He was there for what seemed like forever, Valleri could hear a yell or grunt every few seconds. Valleri tried to make eye contact with Vilkas, but the man was just staring at the large pool of blood and armor pieces scattered on the floor. Valleri didn't move.

Soon enough she heard the door clatter and Kodlak was approaching them with a glare. Vilkas and Aela stood up straight, not saying anything. Valleri shrunk back into the background; this was something she didn't want to see.

Kodlak breathed out, eye brows turning downward. The man spoke in a clear, steady tone, "What happened, Aela?" The woman stared back at the Harbinger. Anger burned in the woman's eyes. "Aela!"

Valleri could see Aela relent, the Nord glancing down in defeat. "Fine!" Aela snapped, "We were out on a hunt last night. Skjor got hurt!"

"Exactly, Skjor got hurt! He's more than hurt, our shield brother could have died!" Kodlak retorted, gesturing to the pool of blood on the floor. "Were you two using the blood?"

"That was the point of us going out in the first place!"

Kodlak sighed, voice quieter, "You should have at least let someone know what you were doing." The old man glanced at Vilkas, causing the younger Nord to glance down with a look of uncertainty.

"We didn't tell you because you'd make a bigger deal out of this than you should. That you'd bring your own opinion of the beast blood into this." Aela countered. She had calmed down from her initial protests, but she was still furious. Finally, Valleri caught Vilkas' eye. The Nord only shook his head; Valleri saw the unspoken apology. The Imperial didn't move lest the others see her too.

"This incident only further proves my point; you and Skjor are only becoming reckless. The both of you take the responsibility of the blood too lightly. Regardless of what happens after death, you're already paying for it."

Aela snarled, not saying anything for several long seconds. "Keep your own regrets out of this Kodlak." The woman stared the old man down before walking out of the mead hall. Kodlak looked down at the blood drying on the floor. Valleri only felt pity when she looked back to Kodlak; seeing him as an old man whose own children just passed him by. He looked up, finally noticing Valleri at the other end of the room. She stared at him with down turned eyes, still frozen where she stood.

"I apologize for that allowing you to see that, Valleri. I'm sorry," Kodlak whispered. He turned his head away and walked off into the room Skjor was placed in. The door shut and Valleri finally let herself breath. She could still feel the goosebumps on her arms and shoulders.

Vilkas approached her silently, placing a hand on her arm. He looked at her with apologetic eyes, "He's right; you shouldn't have seen that."

Valleri stared back at him with wide, worried eyes. She felt grounded with his hand on her arm and it was easier to recompose herself. "How long have they been fighting about," she paused, trying to think of the proper words, "That?"

"It's been festering for a long time," Vilkas muttered, "Kodlak only began to voice his opinions shortly before you arrived." There was a long pause between them, the pit in Valleri's stomach was stagnant. "Skjor will probably be fine."

"Who'll clean up the blood?"

He glanced over to the stain with a grimace, "That should be the least of your worries right now."

Valleri nodded, pulling her eyes away from the blood stain. The smell, metallic and decaying, was beginning to become overwhelming. She breathed outwards, finally putting her hand to her nose to stifle the smell. Vilkas patted her arm then turned to walk away. Valleri felt a lump in her throat as she watched him walk away.


	12. Chapter 12

The next two weeks passed by without any further incident for Valleri. She was certainly shaken up by Kodlak and Aela's fight for the rest of that one day, but she put it to the back of her mind. Kodlak couldn't look at her without frowning to himself with regret for a few days afterwards. In the meantime, Vilkas gave her any further orders. The younger man was nice enough about it at least and tried not to bother her too much. He knew all too well how uneasy the argument made her feel. There wasn't a lot to do in the mean time and most of her jobs were quick and easy.

Skjor himself was another matter. He passed out sometime after he was taken away. Since them, he passed in and out of consciousness. Danica came by every few hours to check up on the mostly comatose man. It wasn't difficult to see that every once in a while, Kodlak seemed to prepare himself to lose one of his best men. Valleri only personally saw Skjor through an open door a number of times. Tilma and Danica often came out of the room with dark red bandages and sheets, an immediate deterrent for Valleri's usual curiosity. Farkas distanced himself after he learned of what happened and Vilkas visited the man often. Vilkas told Valleri that he thought of Skjor like an uncle over a meal one night. She shrugged but kept the information in the back of her mind. It might come in handy later. Obscure information usually did.

Valleri found herself sitting on the edge of the Skyforge most of the time that she was in Whiterun, usually with a book or journal. The view was nice and Eorlund didn't complain. Valleri kept to herself and tried not to make trouble. People in turn didn't really bother her either.

Unless that person was Farkas.

More often than not, Valleri didn't notice people walking up behind her between the clanging of metal and being stuck in her on world. That's why Valleri always flinched when Farkas playfully hit her in the shoulder when he sat down next to her. She sighed, staring at the ink smudged across the page; this was a new journal!

Farkas took a quick look at the page, grin fading a bit, "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to mess up your page."

Valleri couldn't help but smile to herself. "I know. It doesn't really matter, I guess," she set the pen and journal next to the ink bottle, "Need something?"

Farkas' eyebrows shot up with realization, "Right! I did. Nope, Kodlak did. Not me, unless you wanted to chat for a bit?""

Valleri stared out over the training yard with a look of contemplation. Getting up, she gathered her things. Turning back to Farkas, Valleri smiled, "Where's Kodlak?"

The man shook his head with a chuckle, "Not today, huh?"

"Talk to Eorlund, he's a great conversationalist," the woman stared deadpanned at the ground when she heard the old blacksmith grumble something behind her.

"I should know, huh?" Farkas laughed, "Kodlak's waiting in the bunkroom. Good luck!" he shouted as Valleri waved and descended down the stairs.

Valleri found Vilkas shortly after she entered the mead hall. She eyed him inconspicuously from behind; the Nord was almost completely oblivious and tossing a cloak haphazardly over the back of a chair. She could see his profile from where she stood. The man's squared jaw line led her eyes upwards to a small scar above his eyebrow. Valleri certainly didn't notice that before; must have been because Vilkas was finally clean. She rushed past, trying to leave before Vilkas cornered her.

"Valleri!" Vilkas shouted as he turned his head to look at her. The Imperial woman turned around and sighed to herself; too little, too late. "Did Kodlak ask to see you too?"

"Yeah, do you know what it's about?"

Vilkas shook his head with an annoyed glance, "I'd bet you fifteen septims it's just another job. I couldn't guess the particulars though," Vilkas sighed and pulled at his collar, "It's getting difficult to talk to him about certain things."

Valleri cocked an eyebrow, "Certain things?"

"Doesn't matter. Let's go," Vilkas started walking downstairs with out her. He stopped and watched while Valleri stashed her journal and quill next to her assigned bed. Valleri glanced at him as Vilkas slouched against the door jam. The man looked exhausted and probably needed a break.

Kodlak seemed just as tired when she saw him sitting in his usual seat at the end of the hall. The old man smiled meekly as he noticed her staring. He nodded towards Vilkas as the two of them entered. "Good, you two came together."

"What is it this time?" Vilkas questioned, voice low and almost grumbling. Valleri winced.

"I got a letter from the Reach; people from Karthwasten are going missing near an old Nordic ruin."

Valleri scowled, "I've come to realize it's your job to answer calls for help like these, but what about the guards?"

Vilkas glanced down with a bored, unsurprised expression, "The Jarl's more concerned with the Forsworn."

Valleri turned to look at him, "Who are they?" She shook her head and glanced back at Kodlak, "Never mind, I'll find out later. How far is Markarth?"

Kodlak looked brighter suddenly when he locked eyes with Valleri, "It's a little more than a week away. You two will be away for a while."

Vilkas perked up, "No one else is coming?"

"Unfortunately no. There have been a lot of jobs starting to come in as the first snow approaches. Don't be disheartened, I have perfect faith that you and Valleri will do well. That's all," Kodlak finished with a smile. Vilkas shrugged and turned to leave the room, Valleri quickly following suit. Kodlak breathed in, "Actually, Valleri, I had a question for you."

The woman turned back around to face the large Nord, "What'd you need?"

The Harbinger addressed with an even tone, "What do you plan on doing after you find the people you are looking for?"

Valleri paused and stared at him with wide eyes, "I… I honestly haven't thought about it much."

Kodlak glanced downwards with a look of disappointment, "You've been too caught up with the past to think about the future."

"I wouldn't say that exactly."

"If you decide not to go back Cyrodiil after this ordeal, I'd like to offer you a more permanent position in Whiterun."

Valleri breathed outwards with apprehension, "I'm not sure what to say."

Kodlak nodded his head, "I didn't mean for that to sound heavy-handed, but please consider it."

Valleri looked back at him apologetically and rushed out of the room. She paused when she saw Vilkas leaning against the wall with arms crossed next to the open door. The younger man stared at her out of the corner of his eye. Valleri knew immediately he'd been listening to their conversation. She could only give him an unsure glance as she rushed back upstairs.

…

Vilkas and Valleri left Whiterun soon after the sunrise the next moring. They walked mostly in silence as Valleri watched the sun rise over the mountain range north of the city. Vilkas was leading her mostly the same way the went when heading towards Dustman's Cairn but this time around they stuck close to the road. Guards dressed in yellow armor patrolled the road, paying little to no attention to the two travelers. Valleri didn't mind however, the guards around in Skyrim were much more crass than the city guards in Cyrodiil and Valleri had trouble keeping snide comments to a minimum so early in the morning. She pulled her cloak closer around her as the early morning chill refused to leave.

"You didn't sleep, did you?" Vilkas turned to look at Valleri walking at a slower pace behind him. Somehow even with the dark, ugly smudges of charcoal under his eyes, the Nord looked very awake.

Valleri chuckled to herself and shook her head, "Not really. I'll be fine though."

"Did you go to bed late or something? Or are you excited about finally leaving the hold?"

Valleri hummed quietly, "Nothing like that. I always just have a tough time staying asleep when it gets cold."

Vilkas looked down at the ground with a disbelieving scowl, "That doesn't sound right."

Valleri chuckled again and finally locked eyes with the Nord walking next to her, "You've lived in Whiterun all your life, right? Never really stayed anywhere warm and temperate for an extended period of time?" she smirked and went back to looking at the scenery around them. The mountains in the background were starting to accumulate white patches of snow. Just looking at it made the warm blooded Imperial shiver.

"Can't say I have," Vilkas admitted, glancing back at Valleri.

"Exactly! I'm just not used to the cold is all," Valleri smiled, laughing to herself.

Vilkas looked back up with a cocked eyebrow, "Sounds like you need a blanket or a sweater or something. Especially since you're going to be here at least until spring."

"Yeah, right," Valleri paused, standing still by herself momentarily, "Wait what did you say?"

"What?" Vilkas watched the Imperial start walking again, facing him with a frown. Valleri could see a hint of panic in his expression, but that didn't make her feel any less confused.

"You think it's going to take that much time to find my friends?" Valleri eyed him with an reproachful glare. Again, Valleri knew that Vilkas meant no harm by the off handed comment, but still…

Vilkas eyed her with a bored expression. He breathed out and went back to scanning the road in front of them. "Yes, I do actually," he answered with a deep, unemotional voice. Valleri scowled in return.

"Why though? Kodlak was finally getting in touch with the authorities in Falkreath and that doesn't mean I can't be out there looking myself," Valleri gestured wildly with her hands almost losing her cloak in the process. She scrambled to readjust it, realizing she probably looked like a fool.

"Winter's at the very least a few days away and you think it'd be easy to scour the forest for two dead bodies and three bandits. It's not possible," Vilkas sighed with disappointment and shook his head.

Valleri breathed out, and chuckled, "Doesn't mean I can't try."

She could hear Vilkas grumble at her side before a corner of his mouth turned upwards finally, "All right, just… be careful if you do." They walked on for quite a bit and Valleri noticed they were starting to come into hillier terrain. Vilkas started to address her again in an even voice, "Let's say you do collect the weregild, what then?"

Valleri shrugged, "Back to the Gold Coast I guess." She kicked a loose stone on the road watched it roll a few feet before kicking it again.

"I thought you didn't have a lot to go back to apart form Alastaros and Lexius."

"That doesn't mean I have nothing. It's my home; I just can't abandon it," Valleri muttered mostly to herself. Vilkas tilted his head and frowned. The Imperial woman laughed nervously, hoping it would lighten the increasingly awkward mood.

The Nord finally glanced back at her with a slight grin; Valleri felt herself begin to relax. "Why not just take time off and travel?"

She cocked an eyebrow and locked eye with him "What happened to this wergild thing? And aren't we technically traveling right now?"

"Yes, we are, but that's not the point," Vilkas muttered. He stopped walking and started gazing northwards over the tundra. Valleri saw him squinting then spotted two large creatures ambling on in the distance.

Valleri pulled her cloak closer around her shoulder as the wind buffeted into her, "What are those?"

"Mammoths. They can put up a fight but then the giants will go after you," Vilkas whispered as he continued to watch them.

Valleri sighed and glanced up at him, "What was your point by the way?"

"About earlier?"

"Yeah."

Vilkas turned back to Valleri with a small, almost pitiful frown, "Every time you've left Anvil was on sort of business. And what we're doing right now, we're on our way to a job. You're not going to Markarth just because you want to."

"Well I sort of want to," Valleri mumbled to herself. She scowled to herself and started walking off again. She spun on her heel and looked back Vilkas with a broad grin, "Some one can say the same thing about you, right Vilkas?"

The Nord narrowed his eyes with annoyance, "What's that supposed to mean?"

Valleri gestured widely and shouted, "What have you done for the past ten, no fifteen years of your life? Worked with the Companions, right?"

Vilkas stated walking towards her with a slight scowl, "Okay, stop right there. I'm perfectly content with my life the way it is." He stared down at her with a look of mixed pain and annoyance. Valleri would have bet that he was lying. If there was one thing she learned about Vilkas in the time she had gotten to know him, he was a proud man.

Valleri felt the dark mood starting to overtake the situation and the open space of the tundra began to close in on her. The Imperial laughed nervously, "If you say so." She started walking again, finding another pebble to kick around. Vilkas caught the pebble next and saw his face brighten up when it flew a few feet farther than he anticipated. She looked back at him, "Why are you so interested in what I'm doing anyhow? Is it because of my conversation with Kodlak yesterday?"

Vilkas didn't say anything for a time, black choppy hair covering his face as he looked down. Valleri almost didn't hear him when he began to whisper, "I'd be lying if I said no."

Valleri felt guilty for poking fun at the man when she paused next to him. She didn't attempt to make eye contact. "I'm sorry," she spoke quietly and placed a hand on his arm, "Would it really be that bad if I left?"

Vilkas brushed the stray, black hairs out of his face before looking back to Valleri, "I'm not sure if I have an opinion on that matter yet," the Nord started walking towards the west again, a spring of confidence back in his stride. He looked at Valleri over his shoulder, eyes bright and alert, "If you do end up taking Kodlak up on his offer, go on a trip first, clear your head. Maybe I'll go with you."

Valleri couldn't help but smile as she ran to catch up to him, "That'd be the day!"

…

Vilkas was still on his first drink when the group of soldiers entered the inn. Valleri sat next him, slowly nursing a small mug of mead and staring into the fire. Her burgundy grey cloak was draped over shoulders like a blanket, reminding Vilkas of their conversation the day before. Vilkas was glad they made it to Rorikstead before night fall. He hated sleeping under the open sky, the experience always left him with a threatening feeling of being watched. Valleri was also much happier being indoors. Her face paled in disappointment when she saw the small white flakes falling from the sky. By now he expected the snow was coming down hard and steady. Poor, poor Imperial.

The new comers were loud and it was hard not stare at them with a frown. The five of them crowded the door and let all of the cold air into the room. Each one of them had deep purple capes clasped around them and fall faced helmets. Anyone who had been in Skyrim for even a short time would know who they were. Vilkas could see Valleri pull the cloak closer around her from the corner of his eye. She watched the group of Stormcloaks from the corner of her eye with a look of disdain.

Soon enough one of the Stormcloak soldiers started ogling the Imperial woman sitting next him. Vilkas sighed and tried not to pay too much attention. Unfortunately, Vilkas overheard them making comments and bets. Damn the blood! There were times he appreciated the inhumane ability but now was not one of those times.

He was tempted to throw punches at the a few of the of Stormcloaks behind him for some of the nastier things they were saying about Valleri.

Soon enough one of them actually approached her, a large Nord who slid his helmet off and placed it on the table in between the two Companions. He narrowed his drunken eyes and starting to rattle off a few pickup lines. Valleri sat, eyes glued on the fire in front of her. To be honest, Vilkas knew exactly what she was doing; hoping the soldier would just go away wasn't going to do anything.

The Nord started to lean over her with a hand on the back of the chair but soon began to move his arm down onto her shoulder. Vilkas was about to make a move when he saw the steel helmet collide with the man's face. There was a metallic clang when the piece of armor connected with his cheek and the Nord was out cold. He fell to the stone floor face first when she pushed him off her.

Vilkas couldn't help but give her a surprised glance. He saw her hurt, embarrassed expression, face bright red and eyes wide. Valleri mumbled an apology before heading back to their room. He glanced at the group of Stormcloak soldiers with disgust and rushed to follow Valleri.

The woman was much calmer in the smaller room than she was in the main hall of the inn. She began to speak in hurried manner, not letting Vilkas get a chance to cut in. She spoke about how rude the Stormcloaks seemed to be, how they were just like the legion. How in Cyrodiil, legionnaires would strut around and push civilians around all because they thought they were the only ones who mattered any more. How nothing ever changed no matter which army you ran into.

She looked at him with furrowed eyebrows and piercing eyes. What was the point of the war in the first place? The Empire was much to weak to be fighting a war in the first place. The Jarls of Skyrim had to have known that it was easier to gain freedom through peaceful means rather than slaughter. Had they never realized that or were they both too prideful to turn back?

Valleri sighed, out of steam but he could see that she felt much better. They both laughed nervously, Vilkas finally saying that he could see what she meant. Breathing out, Valleri quietly thanked him with a nod of her head. He could see Valleri smiling at herself before going to bed as he left the room to finish his mead.


	13. Chapter 13

Valleri couldn't help but stare wide eyed at the city looming in front of them. If she looked closely enough, the Imperial woman could clearly see the buildings and spires carved out of the bed rock. She had seen cities carved out of stone before, but nothing on this scale. Alastaros told her that they were primarily exploring Dwemer ruins during their ill-fated trip. Were they all like this?

Vilkas didn't seem to be phased by the grandeur of the front gate. To him it was probably just another city with more problems and people to deal with. There were only so many times a person could go to a place and still feel amazed by it.

She turned to look at the Nord only slightly behind her, trudging through the patchy snow like he was going to murder someone, "You okay?"

He stared at her with narrowed eyes, "I'm fine. I remembered just how much I hate this place."

The smile faded from Valleri's face before she turned back around. She stopped and looked up at the city, "What's so bad about Markarth?"

Vilkas stopped behind her, finally looking up. The scowl on his face faded into an expression of mild annoyance, "Same type of people here as there are anywhere else. Besides, the entire city's built on a Dwemer ruin. That just can't be safe." The Nord continued along the path leading to the gates.

"That's exciting though!"

"I'm not going to say anything more and let you think that," Vilkas muttered before finally reaching the steps leading to the city gates.

Valleri shook her head. She was about to take another quick step to catch up to Vilkas when she felt something ram into the back of her legs. Valleri felt the heel of her boot slip across a slick patch of ice. The woman reached out for anything to grab onto but the fall was inevitable. She hit the ground with a thud and her right shoulder careened into the point of a jagged rock. "Fuck!"

Vilkas turned to face his friend laying on the ground, "What in oblivion happened?"

Valleri steadied herself. She looked over to her left; there was a wide eyed dog wagging it's tail and staring at her with what could have been a smile. "I hit an ice parch," the Imperial muttered as she caught up to Vilkas. She could see him begin to smile smugly.

"You didn't break anything, did you?"  
"Oh, shut up."

"I take it there wasn't a lot of ice on the Gold Coast?" Vilkas retorted, desperately trying to keep a straight face. He waited for Valleri to enter the city before going on through himself.

"If I ever see you there, I'm gonna throw sand in your eyes." Valleri grumbled.

Vilkas sighed, rubbing the back of his head with a free hand, "That's fair." Valleri shot him a glare through narrowed green eyes. The Nord couldn't help but laugh to himself. He paused in the middle of the market, watching as Valleri seemed to continue on to a side street. Shaking his head, Vilkas addressed her, "Valleri, where're you going?"

The woman paused and spun on her heel to face him. She looked at him with confusion then realization, "I have no idea."

"We're supposed to meet a man by the name of Ainethach at the Silverblood Inn."

Valleri began to approach Vilkas again, face contorted in a frown, "Where was I going?"

"Up to the other side of town towards the mine. Come on," Vilkas held the heavy stone door open for Valleri as she strode on through into the warmth of the building. The interior of the inn was dimly lit apart from the hearth at the back of the room and a wall sconce every few feet. Vilkas stepped in and the door slammed behind him with a thud. The inn was mostly empty apart from a spare smeter worker here and there. All Vilkas knew was that they were searching for a Breton. At least he'd assumed Ainethach was a Breton name. He followed Valleri to the back of the room and took a seat by the hearth.

It wasn't long before they were approached by a newcomer. The man was too short to be a Nord and the tattoos on his face certainly didn't have any cultural motifs that Vilkas could recognize. The man crossed his arms nervously, "Sorry but are you guys with the Companions? I was supposed to meet a man by the name of Vilkas here."

Valleri glanced at her friend with a questioning expression. Vilkas nodded, "I'm him. This is Valleri, she's with the Companions as well," he gestured to the woman in question. She smiled at the Breton anxiously.

"Well that's all well and good. You're gonna need more than one person any ways," Ainethach laughed nervously while Valleri shot Vilkas an unsure glance. "Some of my miners went missing a while ago near an old Nordic ruin and I haven't seen them since. I'd go after them myself but I've got enough problems between the Forsworn and those, well, I'm going to stop there."

"You own land around here then?"  
"That I do, Karthwasten."  
"What's the ruin called?" Valleri piped up from her seat on the other side of Ainethach.

"Ragnvald. All I know is that if I go meddling around an old burial site, I might get attacked and loose the mine."

Vilkas muttered, looking into the fire in front of him, "Shouldn't be too hard."

"Great then. The ruin is a tad to the south west of Karthwasten. There's a road that should be going right to it some where between here and my town."

"At least we won't have to spend a day looking for it," Valleri couldn't help but smile, reminding Vilkas of their trip to Dustman's Cairn a week or so before.

Ainethach finally laughed genuinely, "I'll leave you two to it then. When you're done just come on up to the mine and let me know what happens." He turned to leave the inn, "I'll see you in a few days hopefully."

Vilkas watched him leave then looked back to Valleri. The woman unclasped her cloak and laid it across the back of her chair. Her hair was hanging in front of her eyes, rose gold light glinting off of the strands. She turned to face Vilkas, mouth curled up in a grin.

Vilkas paused, not knowing what to say. He looked back int the fire and started speaking, "We'll leave tomorrow morning. No need to rush at this point; people don't typically make it out of places like that alive."

Valleri's gaze turned sorrowful in the firelight, "Well, you're not wrong." The woman looked back over to Vilkas, "We call those people idiots. But when you think, we're the idiots, right?"

"I'm not an idiot though," Vilkas muttered, "I'm a trained professional. I've been going through old ruins and caves since I was barely a man."  
Valleri laughed, "Me too, but that doesn't mean I make the best decisions," she patted him on the back roughly, "You should know!"

Vilkas sighed, smiling all the while, "Regardless, you've only ever been theses sorts of places for research or treasure hunting or whatever it was you did with Alastaros, but you were still safe about it."

"And what part of this is safe?" Valleri cocked an eyebrow. Vilkas only shook his head and looked back into the fire.

This was going to be fun.

…

Breakfast was a dull affair the next morning; Valleri wasn't feeling particularly hungry and Vilkas was missing after she left him the night before. Though it wasn't like she could really coax him into doing much anyways. Valleri learned many things about the Nord in the time she spent with the Companions; Vilkas was not someone you messed with early in the morning. It wasn't that he was overtly horrible, the man was just cold and distant.

Valleri accidentally woke up earlier than she would have liked. The stony bed provided by the inn was insufferable and Valleri would much rather sleep outside on the ground than on the slab of rock. She had a hard time falling asleep in the first place, but staying asleep was another thing.

The woman found a corner table in the main room of the inn and sat for a time. People filled the building as they came inside to find food and a warm fire to wake them up. Most of them were sluggish smelter workers, dressed in threadbare tunics and trousers. How they could work outside like that was beyond her. Even with the heavy cloak, Valleri still felt the chill creep up on her.

Valleri broke off another piece of bread but couldn't find will to start eating it. Sitting alone for the morning meal felt foreign. In the time that she was staying with the Companions, she would end up eating with Vilkas. He wasn't much of a conversationalist but the company was nice at least. Finally, she started to nibble on a spare carrot on her plate. The taste was bland, but it was food.

She perked up when she saw a familiar black haired Nord lumbering out into the main hall. He was slouching as he walked; Valleri figured he didn't sleep well either. He stopped by the main counter before turning around to search for her. Valleri made no move to welcome him to the table. Instead she began to slouch further into her chair when he came striding up.

Vilkas yawned as he took a seat across the table. Valleri smiled to herself, "You too, huh?"

"Gods, I hate this city," Vilkas grumbled. "Why they don't use normal beds is beyond me."

Valleri stifled a laugh, "Did you actually get any sleep?"

Vilkas rubbed his eyes and sighed. "Only a few hours. What about you?

The Imperial laughed, "No, I don't think so." The Nord across from her furrowed his eyebrows, "I've been sitting out here for a few hours." Valleri paused, twirling a strand of hair around her finger, "Do you think that maybe we should have just gone straight to Ragnvald?"

Vilkas stole the last piece of bread from Valleri's plate, "Not at all. I'd much rather just sleep on a stone bed than walk in the dark in the Reach."

Valleri thought of the surrounding scenery, steep cliffs and fast-moving rivers could be dangerous in the day time. It was easy to see Vilkas' point. She watched him finish off the food on her plate and got up to put her cloak back on. "How long do you think it'll take to get there?"

Vilkas shook his head and looked down at the table, "Not long at all. The trek will take the better part of a day, but that's to be expected." The chair clattered as Vilkas began to move back into his room, "I've got a few things to pick up, then I'll meet you outside."

Valleri nodded her head in reply and began towards the door. She hesitated before opening it, mentally preparing herself for the blast of cold from the outside. It was still dark as well, the looming wall in front of her blocked the sun. The walk to Ragnvald was going to be miserable. Valleri leaned against a stone pillar supporting the rockface and closed her eyes. She figured she may as well get a bit more rest before leaving Markarth.

She waited by the door for some time before she saw a cloaked figure running down one of the side streets at an oddly fast pace. Valleri could only stare on, feet frozen in place as the figure kept running closer. Valleri shouted at them with worry before she attempted to step away. The woman was too late, the hooded figure side swiped her and fell forward into the stony ground. Valleri tried to reach out for anything to regain her balance, but she felt herself loose her footing on another ice patch. She felt her side hit the ground hard before attempting to get up. "Gates to oblivion," Valleri shouted as she propped herself back up with an arm. Her shoulder was throbbing again. She glanced at the person who ran into her; he too was picking himself up from the round and his hood was flipped back to reveal golden, pointed ears. She scowled, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I am…" the Altmer trailed off.

"What in Ysmir's beard happened? I was gone for only a few minutes!" Valleri looked up and saw Vilkas standing in front of the door leading into the inn with a look of disappointment on his face. He walked over and offered a hand out to Valleri. She sighed and took it, cursing Vilkas internally. She wasn't going to hear the end of it.

"I accidentally ran into your friend here," the Altmer muttered as he turned around to face the two Companions. He looked at Vilkas with a sheepish grin then back at Valleri. He had only glanced at her for a few seconds before there was a bright light of recognition went off in his eyes and his jaw drop. "Wait, I think I know you!"

Valleri stepped back. there was something unsettling about this elf.

"Your name is Valleri right?" his smile faded when she failed to answer, "Did you have brother by the name of Lexius? A Redguard? How about Alastaros? Do any of those names sound familiar, at all?"

Valleri looked at him with wonder before glancing over to Vilkas, the Nord was equally surprised. "How the fuck did you know that?" Valleri muttered, listening to the sound of her heart pounding in her ears.

The Altmer ginned again, taking Valleri's hands into his own, "I didn't think I'd ever get to meet you! Lexius was adamant that you hated the cold."

"How did you know Lexius though?"  
The Altmer's grin faded a bit, "I met lexius when he came here to get the Falmer translation a year or so ago. I'm Calcelmo's nephew, Aicantar."  
Valleri paused, immediately recognizing the name, "The same Calcemo that studied with Alastaros in the Imperial City before Alastaros got kicked out?" Aicantar nodded vigorously. Valleri breathed in and took her hand back, "Wow, I heard a few storied about Lex's trip but nothing in great detail."  
Valleri heard Vilkas grumble behind her before patting her on the shoulder, "What are you doing running around so early in the morning when you're supposed to be in a Dwemer ruin with this Calcemo fellow?" Valleri glanced up to the Nord; it was another valid question.

Aicantar laughed nervously, "I was, uh, running errands, very important stuff." Valleri stared at hm through narrowed eyes. The Altmer winced, "Yeah, okay, fine. So maybe I may have gotten into a fight with Calcelmo."

Vilkas stared at the elf with a scowl, "Are you running away?"  
Valleri breathed in sharply and didn't move her gaze away Aicantar, who was beginning to melt under Vilkas' scrutiny. She had to stop this before it started. The Imperial woman coughed to get Aicantar's attention, "Was it that bad?"

"Well, I maybe not so kindly told hm that he was too preoccupied with his own work to notice any of other plebeians working for him," the elf began to seethe again. Aicantar began to shift from one foot to another, "I figured getting away for a while would help."

Valleri tilted her head to the side, "It usually does."

The Imperial looked up to Vilkas. The man was rubbing his temples with annoyance, "We should probably start going."

"Right," Valleri mumbled. She paused and took one last look at the Altmer. He was dusting himself off and muttering something Valleri couldn't pick up. Tapping Vilkas on the arm for him to wait, she addressed Aicantar one more time, "Hey, you're from Summerset Isles, right? Are you good with destruction spells?"  
Aicantar furrowed his thin eyebrows, "It's called Alinor now, but yeah. I'm pretty handy with lightning."

Valleri smiled, preparing herself for the barrage of complaints that would come in a moment or two, "Why not come with us? I'm sure we could use another person and staying out of the city isn't going to do anything for you."

"Valleri, what the hell?" Vilkas all but shouted, eyes wide and stormy.

"What's wrong with having another person with us?"

"The elf's a liability."

"No, he isn't. It'll be fine."

Vilkas' mouth turned into thin line, "No. That's it, he's not coming with us."

Valleri wanted to punch the Nord, but stayed still. They didn't have to agree on everything. Before she knew it, Aicantar slowly raised his hand and began to speak, "Actually, I'd like to go. I'm not sure where you're all going but I'd rather be anywhere but here."  
Vilkas stared at Aicantar for only moment before sighing. Her rubbed the bridge of his nose, "Fine, he can come." Aicantar shot Valleri a happy glance before Vilkas began to address the Imperial woman, "You'll be the one to talk to his uncle if anything happens though. I don't have any particular wish to deal with smug elves.'

The Nord turned to leave and Valleri began to walk next to Aicantar. The elf shot her an exasperated smile, "Is he always like that?"

Valleri laughed to herself, 'Not always. You just caught him on an odd day."

"Well, that's inconvenient," he held the city gate open for Valleri, who didn't even try to catch up to Vilkas. "What happened to Lexius? Did you guys ever find that necklace he mentioned?"  
Valleri paused, her face turning white, and breathed out sharply. Cold creeped up on shoulders, a different cold than the snow around them. She turned back to Aicantar with a sorrowful expression, "A lot of things happened since then. Right now isn't really a good time to talk about it." The woman turned away only to see Vilkas waiting at the bottom of the steps. He had definitely overheard their conversation and his scowl was replaced by a much softer expression. Valleri felt a little better when she nodded in reply and the three of them started on their trek to Ragnvald.


	14. Chapter 14

It was easy to spot Ragnvald from a distance. The stark black architecture stood out from the rockface and fir trees like a sore thumb. Valleri squinted when she looked at it; bright sunlight reflected off polished blotches of black stone, turning it bright silver. A massive front porch led to the front entrance to the ruin, a looming slab of black behind the tall arches. It was the same foreign architecture Valleri saw previously at Bleakfalls barrow. Long tendrils of overgrown vines and leaves descended down parts of the arches like a curtain. Being the historical scholar she was, Valleri assumed it was built by similar people nearly at the same time in history.

Valleri sighed and brushed away a vine, "Well, at least it's more obvious than Dustman's Cairn. But why in the world would they build a settlement so close to Nordic crypt?" She scowled and looked back to Vilkas and Aicantar. She ran backwards into another vine, tangling her arm up in the process. Exasperatedly, Valleri pulled out her dagger and cut away the green tendrils.

"Ainethach mentioned a mine, so the location was probably just one of convenience," Vilkas muttered from behind her. He looked at Aicantar with piercing glare, "Much like Markarth, huh?"

Valleri could hear Aicantar laugh dryly as he squirmed momentarily. Quickly, the High Elf glanced sideways at the Nord with a sour smile, "At least Markarth has actual guards from keeping whatever's down there at bay. Besides, Calcelmo hasn't had the chance to wake anything up yet. The excavation's been closed down for now."

Valleri breathed out, reaching the next part of the porch, "That's a shame," she stopped at the side of one the porch, and crossed her arms, "What happened?"

Aicantar laughed awkwardly as he ducked underneath more vines, "Giant spiders and the such. Nothing too horrible."

Vilkas finally looked up to Valleri, expression lighter than before. He paused next to Valleri, "As someone who doesn't go galivanting into old ruins mostly for the hell of it, I'm curious as to how often stuff like that happens?"

Valleri looked at him with a smile and shook her head. She knew he was only joking despite the accusatory tone he used. She looked over her shoulder with a smirk, "What sort of stuff do you are you referring to?"

The Nord shrugged with boredom, "Waking up giant centurions, old spirits. That sort of thing."

"I have a hard time believing that you've never done the same," Valleri laughed, walking past Vilkas. He gave her a shrug as he turned to face her and Aicantar. The elf was already nearing the door leading to the interior of Ragnvald.

Aicantar locked eyes with Valleri, shooting Valleri an unsure look. He glanced back to Vilkas with knitted eyebrows. "She's got a point. You Companions have a reputation of running head on into old crypts like this," Aicantar shouted as he gestured upwards to the towering spires that lined the sides of the porch. "You've had to have fought at least one ancient chieftain after startling them awake," Aicantar quieted down and tilted his head with a smirk.

Vilkas sighed and glanced downwards with a shake of his head, "Okay fine. I'll admit that I did, but only once." He met Valleri's eyes with a look of defeat. The Imperial couldn't help but grin to herself.

"Are you going spare us any of the bloody details?"

Vilkas made his way to the black door without making eye contact with either Valleri or Aicantar. Finally, Valleri could hear him whisper, "Not for you two."

She watched him open the heavy door and frowned, "What a killjoy."

Valleri followed Aicantar into the ruin. The woman had to squint when she stepped into the main room; it was almost pitch black in the chamber despite holes in the ceiling letting light in from the outside. Vilkas and Aicantar were already looking around the room, the elf gravitating to a table in the middle with a mummified corpse laid haphazardly on top. She watched the elf grimace with disgust. Vilkas shot him a look of annoyance when he saw the elf start poking at the corpse with spare piece of metal.

Finally, Aicantar looked back at Valleri leaning against a pillar holding up what was left of the roof. "It smells like death in here," he coughed out.

Valleri smirked. She was perfectly used to the smell of rotting corpses and dry dust; it took Valleri a moment to remember that the Dwemer typically didn't leave bodies, "No kidding. Not as bad as burnt up oil though, that's for sure."

"Quiet you two, we're not sure if the dragur are awake or not," Vilkas snapped back, voice carrying loudly through the chamber. Valleri only stared at him through narrowed eyes before striding over past him, Aicantar quickly following her. She glanced back behind her for only a second to see Vilkas scowling lightly.

She led the two of them through another short set of corridors, finally coming upon a chamber much different than the first. The ruin seemed to direct them onto a raised pathway while a set of stairs led to the floor below them. Valleri looked over the edge; two dead dragur were already lying limp on the ground with a few splatters of dried blood around them. Vilkas saw the blood as well and shot a glance at Valleri. Wordlessly she nodded her head in acknowledgment and rushed down the stairs leading to the lower floor.

She kicked one of the dragur with a boot while Vilkas and Aicantar made their way down. "It's like Dustman's Cairn, they're all torn up," Valleri muttered when she turned back.

"Blood's dried up too, I'm assuming it must have been the miners," Vilkas looked back up to Valleri, "This is a lot of blood though."

"Are we looking for a body then?"

"Well, I'd say the search is over," Aicantar muttered to the others. He was following what Valleri could only assume was a trail of blood to the far corner of the room. Valleri attempted to peer over his shoulder, catching a glimpse of the decaying body. Aicantar's pale face was scrunched up with disgust as he looked down at the unfortunate corpse. He muttered under his breath, "What a horrible way to go."

"There were more of them, right?" Valleri asked, unable to pull her eyes away from the dead body.

"Aye. We should probably go further in, make sure there isn't anyone else left." Vilkas started walking back up the stairs to the walk way above. He watched as Valleri and Aicantar followed him up, "Who knows, maybe one of them lived?"

Valleri shot him a doubtful glance, "That's just wishful thinking there."

She walked past the Nord and into the next room. It was raised and closed in much like where they found the dead miner. Behind the haphazardly put together wooden panels, Valleri could see the final part of the chamber below. Valleri began to walk forward when began to hear a grumbling at her side. The woman whipped around, cursing herself internally when she saw the dragur begin to bring his sword down on her. "Fucking hell!" Valleri shouted as she sidestepped, only able to grab the dagger out of small scabbard on her side. Valleri swung around the back and plunged the dagger into the decaying neck. The black great sword fell from the dragur's grasp. Valleri yelled one more time as she unsheathed her sword and drug across the dragur's neck. The shambling corpse dropped to the floor with a thud.

Valleri was still breathing heavily and coughing up dust when Vilkas and Aicantar came rushing in. The elf stared at the scene with dumbfounded confusion while Vilkas only looked at her with a blank stare. This had happened too many times for Vilkas to be surprised any longer.

Instead Vilkas shifted his weight to the other foot and shot her unimpressed look, "Happened again, huh?"

Valleri crouched down and pulled the dagger from the corpse below her. She wiped the dust clean on the lower hem of her cloak and turned to face her friends, "Well, it's not going to be the last time either. Besides one dragur doesn't amount to much." The Imperial smirked as Vilkas approached her, his expression finally softening.

The Nord walked past the wooden paneling and into the lower bowels of the room. Aicantar and Valleri followed suit but stayed on the upper portion of the stairs. Around them was random clutter; old urns and piles of rotting bandages and wrappings littered the floor around them. At the head of the room was a sarcophagus and Valleri walked up to inspect it closer. Two round impressions were left on either side, looking as if there was something missing.

Vilkas came up right behind her, looking down at the sarcophagus, "This doesn't look like it's going to bode well."

Valleri glanced over to him, "You're good with this stuff. Do you know any of the history of this place?"

"Not at all," he whispered as he shook his head. "But I'd gather the people who built this place was trying to keep whatever was buried here exactly where they left him."

"The miners probably knew more than we did."

Vilkas shrugged. He didn't say anything further and looked over to the Altmer fiddling with door at the far left. Aicantar stepped back as he noticed the giant smear of blood covering most of the door. Valleri could see the color left the elf's face again. Aicantar spun on his heel to face the two of them and shouted at a distance, "This might where they went." He paused looking at the rusty smudge left on his hand, "At least I'm assuming it is."

Vilkas exchanged a quick glance with Valleri then sprinted up the stairs to the elf and took a look around the adjoining hall. Valleri leaned against the sarcophagus with folded arms, waiting to see Vilkas' reaction to the discovery. The Nord nodded towards Aicantar and motioned for Valleri to come up to meet them. He took a final glance into the corridor and spoke in a clear, low voice, "Whether or not they knew what was going on here, they seemed to think it was better to keep going."

Valleri furrowed her eyebrows as she came up behind Aicantar, "You'd think they would have just turned back."

Vilkas led his two companions into the hall way, muttering all the while, "Prideful idiots."

The Imperial woman shook her head, "We could say the same about you."

"That's rude," Aicantar whispered.

He bumped into Valleri's back when Vilkas paused at the end of the hallway. There was another flight of rickety, old stairs leading down to a lower level of the ruin. Valleri looked over Vilkas' shoulder to see what made him stop. The Nord had a disappointed scowl on his face and Valleri felt her mood deflate when she saw the shambling dragur.

"Fucking dustmen," Vilkas whispered as he left to head down the stairs, "I should just really start bringing a bow with me. Everything would just be so much easier."

Valleri patted him on the shoulder and watched the unfortunate undead go down with a fluid strike from Vilkas. "Do you know how to use one even?"

He furrowed his eyebrows, "Of course I do. Kodlak and Skjor wouldn't have let Farkas and I start taking jobs if we didn't. Also, Aela made a pretty threatening case."

She followed Aicantar down where Vilkas was still standing around. The Altmer shot Vilkas a look of confusion, "Just to be absolutely clear, that's a dragur?"

Vilkas sighed and shook his head, "Well at least you knew the name." He poked the corpse with the tip of his sword, "Why?"

Aicantar shrugged, "I thought they'd be more squelchy, I guess. Not quite so…"

Valleri cut him off, "Dry?"

"Sort of."

The three of them stood in an awkward silence while Valleri looked around the room. Going forward were two more passages leading in the same general direction. "Should we split up?"

She smirked as she watched Vilkas balk in horror. "Fuck no," he sputtered, "That's a recipe for disaster. Especially with you two."

"Thank the gods…"

Vilkas caught onto Aicantar's whisper and turned to face the elf, "are you rethinking coming with us now, elf?"

Valleri could see Aicantar jump at the accusation, eyes bulging for only a moment, "No, not at all. It's just new is all."

Vilkas exchanged a bored glance with Valleri while the Imperial woman glared at him. He shrugged and turned to leave, "Let's go then."

…

Valleri quickly lost track of the twists and turns of the ruin as they made their way closer to whatever was waiting for them at the end. She was sandwiched between Vilkas and Aicantar and the mood was beginning to worsen. Valleri was beginning to fear an all-out fight between the two of them than any ancient dragur they might chance upon. This was a bad sign.

Regardless of the darkening moods of her compatriots, Valleri followed Vilkas into an open chamber. She quickly stepped away, allowing herself to breath for the first in what she felt was forever. She glanced around the room, surprised by the lit torches lining the walls. There was a sarcophagus at the head of the room, placed vertically and evenly against the wall. The lid was laying broken on the floor, revealing that it was lacking a body. In the middle of the room was another raised platform with stairs leading up to it opposite from the sarcophagus. She paused and furrowed her eyebrows. Something wasn't right about the platform.

She pushed past Vilkas and all but ran up the stairs. Valleri heard Vilkas gripe behind her as she stopped just shy of a pedestal dominating the space. The woman stood enthralled as her eyes landed on it. A small ebony carved skull was placed laying on the pedestal, two sapphire eyes stared right through her. The tips of her fingers brushed the top of the skull, feeling the raised patterns on the metal.

Then she felt something sticky. Valleri grimaced as she pulled her hand away to see a reddish-brown slime covering her finger tips. Her face scrunched as the smell of decaying blood filled her nostrils. Valleri stepped backwards as her eyes followed the patches of blood to the other side of pedestal. She gasped and finally noticed the dead body of a miner slumped against the pedestal.

Vilkas called up to her, almost shouting, "Is everything okay up there?"

Valleri hesitated, eyes still glued to the miner n front of her. "I," she paused, "I found one of the miners."

Vilkas glanced over to Aicantar behind them, the elf shrugging in reply. "How bad is it?"

The Imperial woman shook her head, "It's bad. Part of his arm's missing. I think his jaw's hanging off." She grimaced, leaning her head over the side to get the nauseating stench of the carnage out of her mind. She spun to face Vilkas and Aicantar coming up the stairs, "I only fond one of them. Did Ainethach say how many were missing?"

Vilkas stopped next to Valleri, crouching down to inspect the body. He spoke with a grimace, "Not at all." He got up and addressed their friend standing on the steps, "Aicantar, you probably shouldn't come around here."

Valleri watched the Altmer nod. He placed a gloved hand to his nose, "I figured. I can smell it from here. Did you find anything else?"

"Like more bodies?" Valleri's lips curved upward in an uneven smile. She laughed to herself dryly when both Vilkas and Aicantar shook their heads in mock disappointment. "No, but I did chance upon this," she remarked, holding up the miniature skull high enough for Aicantar to see. The elf's eyes went wide with wonder while Valleri shot him a smug look.

Vilkas didn't seem to share their same enthusiasm, "We're all assuming it's for the coffin in the main chamber, right?"

Valleri nodded her head, "That's the idea. It's probably a perfect fit, though we'd have to try it out to be sure." She looked at Vilkas in front of her with confusion. The Nord was no longer focused on her, instead gazing on something on the platform behind her. Aicantar was beginning to look concerned as well. Any previous amazement the elf had felt before was wiped away. Hairs stood up on the back of her neck and Valleri began to frown. Valleri whipped around as an axe came down hard on the edge of her cloak. The skull dropped from her hand as she attempted to undo the clasp around her neck, though before she could, the dragur began to pull another, smaller axe from its belt.

She looked over to Vilkas with wide, desperate eyes. The Nord was beginning to draw his own sword, but it was too late. The dragur was already beginning to swing towards Valleri as the woman tried to tear her cape away from the battle axe. She heard a sudden humming noise and Vilkas nearly stepped backwards off the raised platform. There was a flash of light then the dragur flew across the room like a doll. Vilkas took advantage of his enemy's sudden misfortune and ran over to finish him off. Confused, Valleri turned back to Aicantar; the elf was breathing heavily with an arm outstretched. Small tendrils of purplish white electricity danced along his hand and forearm. He locked eyes with Valleri, giving her quick nod.

"Are you all right?" he muttered, pulling the arm back to his chest.

"I'm fine." Valleri gave a final tug on her cape and heard the fabric tearing. She grimaced when she watched Vilkas come back with a smirk a minute later, "What happened?"

"I found the last miner. The dragur must have went after them when they went for the skull."

"Well, shit." Valleri sighed in frustration, "That was the last one I take it?"

"Probably." He oved past Valleri and Aicantar and back to the lower level of the chamber.

Aicantar grimaced, eyebrows furrowing, "What about the skull? Shouldn't we at least see what they were after?"

Valleri shot Vilkas a tired look, causing the Nord to chuckle to himself. "Aicantar's right. Val, get the skull," Vilkas said in an even, sure tone. He turned to face them with a smirk, "Now let's go."


	15. Chapter 15

Skjor couldn't remember exactly when he woke up. Everything since the night after the feast was one big blur. Many of his dreams were so vivid, so life like, it was beginning to become difficult to tell what was reality and what wasn't. He honestly couldn't remember the last time he dreamt. Since taking on Hircine's blessing decades before, any dreams were sporadic, twisted nightmares. Lord Hircine wasn't one for bestowing frivolous gifts.

Skjor tired desperately to breath evenly. His ribs felt like fire, but it was nothing compared to the sweat inducing heat of his skin. Danica mentioned something about an infection or fever.

It didn't matter though.

Fever and broken bones be damned if he was to be tied down to this bed. Every minute of each agonizingly long day felt like torture. Skjor had by now memorized each miniscule detail of the back room he was trapped in. There was a broken bow in the far corner; twelve loose septims sat on a table near the middle of the room right next to a book with sea green binding. The curtains next to the bed were woven by someone who had no care for the craft; small bits of yarn were uneven in the weft and not all of the rows were pushed together. Beyond that, the Nord could hear others outside. Skjor's sense of smell went quickly but his ears were still sharp. It was easy to hear the midnight conversations of Aela and Kodlak. Their arguments were long and heated.

The unintentional eavesdropping was beginning to grate on his already thin nerves.

Skjor could feel himself becoming restless. The beast blood was close to boiling over and the longer he stayed in the bed, the worse it was going to get. Something had to be done about it soon.

Shafts of moon light shone through the holes in the curtains. Skjor grunted as he rose to a sitting position and began to stretch his arms over his head. Muscles burned and bones creaked when he moved, but there was a rejuvenating quality to the movement.

That's when he smelled it. Skjor looked down to see his midsection had been wrapped up in yellowed, gooey bandages. Pus seeped out from the haphazard wraps as he moved. Usually Skjor would have been concerned, though now he couldn't process it. The giant gash on his stomach was oozing and there wasn't really anything he could do about it now.

The Nord was about to lay back down when he heard more people talking. Kodlak was speaking in clear tones to one of the newer companions. Ria probably; the second voice was that of a woman too high pitched to be Aela.

"It shouldn't be too hard. Just the usual extermination," Kodlak bellowed.

"Is it people this time?"

"No, just bears and wolves."

"Oh nice. I'll head out tomorrow."

Skjor couldn't process the rest of their conversation. Maybe he didn't want to. But there was only a split second before the plan was already formulated. He couldn't sit in bed any longer before he absolutely needed to transform. Besides, Kodlak said the job was easy enough. What was the harm in going out for a hunt?

…

Valleri could still smell the canal behind her. The water was stagnant and the rancid smell had probably been building up for centuries. The dragur the trio had taken down were floating at the top and probably wouldn't do anything good for the stench that emanated from behind. Old, vague memories of Ayleid ruins on the beaches of Lake Rumare came rushing back and Valleri almost felt like vomiting. It was nothing compared to the rancid, acidic smell of decaying blood though.

Aicantar was pacing behind her with a spare rag tied around his nose and mouth. The poor elf was probably tired of Ragnvald already. Valleri felt sorry for him; people who didn't know them or their line of work personally would probably say they were same type of historical scholar, but that was far from the truth. While Alastaros was quick to get his hands metaphorically and literally dirty, Calcelmo was slow to explore any actual ruins and worked with theories and speculation. Aicantar was probably paying for it now. Valleri could only hope the Altmer could hold it together long enough to reach the end.

The trio came out of the stairwell and into another larger chamber. Valleri felt chills go down her spine as she noted how similar it was to the chamber where they found the skull currently sitting in her pack. A thin, stony walkway led to another circular platform in the middle of the room. Beyond that was another sarcophagus at the head of the room. Hidden alcoves lined the side of the room, looking over the sarcophagus.

And there at the pedestal was a second little, black skull. Valleri sighed internally.

Valleri paused and turned to Aicantar and Vilkas, "Listen, before we do anything, I'm not touching the skull. Not again."

The two men glanced at each other with confused expressions. Finally, Vilkas sighed and addressed Valleri, "What in the world are you talking about?"  
Valleri's stared at him with wide eyed disbelief, mouth agape. She gestured wildly at the room in front of them. "Are you kidding, Vilkas? As soon as we move that skull, that coffin over there is gonna bust open and go for the unlucky fool who touched it." Valleri crossed her arms, "I'm not going to be that fool. I've already done that."

"What makes you think that would actually happen? If you're careful, maybe you wouldn't have that problem."

Valleri gestured wildly, "Just look at this place!"  
The two of them stared at each other, Valleri narrowing her eyes in frustration. Vilkas didn't move either; the Nord stayed stiff and looked down at the shorter Imperial. Aicantar began feel the tension between his two companions. "She has a point," Aicantar agreed. Out of the corner of his eye, the Altmer could see Valleri's frown melt into a smug smirk.

"Fine, fine," Vilkas relented, "I'll go get the skull."

Valleri watched him through narrowed eyes as he sauntered up to the pedestal. With a flourish, the Nord grabbed the skull and held it the air for her and Aicantar to see.

"See, it's fine," he shouted. Valleri felt her chest tighten in disappointed exasperation. "You two are just jumpy," Vilkas smirked. He tossed the skull to Valleri to put in her bag.

"You don't have to be an ass about it," Valleri muttered. The stone skull clattered besides its companion at the bottom. She felt Aicantar tap her on the back, gesturing over to Vilkas with a nod of his head. Valleri furrowed her eyebrows; the Nord was preoccupied and the sarcophagus at the end of the room was beginning to break open. Her grimace melted into a grin, "Shit, I was right!"  
"We've got more pressing problems to deal with," Aicantar slurred as she noticed the other coffins opening to reveal more dragur. She could hear Vilkas yelling obscenities at the dustman in the background.

Valleri kicked her bag towards the entrance of the chamber before drawing her sword. The woman didn't wait for the dragur to come to her and ran at the walking corpse, raising her sword high above her head. The dragur froze, dead eyes locked onto Valleri. She swung down hard on its shoulder. There was a sickening snap when her sword went clean through and a calcified arm landed on the floor with a thud. The dragur began to run towards the door, back turned to Valleri. Her heart raced faster when she remembered her bag left defenseless by the entrance. Quickly, Valleri jumped the gap separating the alcove from the platform, landing heavily on the back of the dragur. Without a thought, she plunged the short sword into its skull.

Valleri wiped the dust and sweat from her eyes before getting up. Aicantar was already done with his own opponent, standing in place with disbelief. The elf finally looked over to her and nodded his head. Valleri glanced over to Vilkas before grabbing the bag; the burly Nord was finishing off the dragur. He laughed when the tall, horned helmet clattered as its head fell to the floor. Vilkas exchanged a glance with her before ascending the stairs to meet his companions.

Valleri smirked to herself as she grabbed the bag, "I told you we'd wake something up."

Aicantar chuckled to himself and the smile melted from Vilkas' face. The Nord furrowed his eyebrows, "Shut up. It was probably just a coincidence."

Valleri started off back from where they came, calling out behind her, "You're just saying that because you don't want to be wrong." She didn't have to turn around to know that Vilkas was smoldering again. She stopped at the bottom of the stairs and waited for the stragglers. Aicantar was still grinning from ear to ear.

"You have the other skull, right?" Vilkas mumbled as he approached the woman.

"Oh, don't change the subject," she jeered. Vilkas' scowl deepened and Valleri sighed; now wasn't the time. "Yeah, I have the skull. Nothing to worry about."

Vilkas shot her a glare and walked past as quickly as he could, "I was only making sure."

Valleri grimaced to herself and waited for Aicantar to pass before following. The elf shot her an exasperated glance and she couldn't help but feel a bit better. She let herself breath again as the trio made their way past the putrid canals and back into the main burial chamber. No one said anything as Valleri hesitantly made her way to the sarcophagus dominating the room. Sighing to herself, Valleri quickly placed the stone skull into the slots carved into the side of the sarcophagus. Valleri held her breath and braced herself for the sound of stone cracking as whatever monster came from the sarcophagus.

But to her surprise, nothing happened.

Valleri stared at the coffin in confusion. Maybe there was nothing here after all?

"Is everything all right?" Aicantar called from his place on the stairs.

"Not sure…" Valleri trailed off. She could feel the two of them staring at her back in anticipation. Valleri knelt down on one knee next to the skulls, the general idea of what was probably wrong swirling in her head. "Don't lose hope in me yet," Valleri mumbled as she switched the placement of the skulls. The woman stepped back as she grimaced at the familiar noise of the sarcophagus opening.

Without warning, there was a sudden, bright flash of purple. Valleri shielded her eyes as best she could from the light. The woman almost toppled backwards when she saw the robed dragur begin to float over the floor. It wailed a low-pitched scream as it made its way towards the three of them.

Vilkas was already charging after it by the time Valleri had her sword out and ready. She watched Vilkas swing at it a few times, the Nord yelling with each hit. He was snarling as he moved; any enjoyment she'd seen in him before was washed away. Chills crawled up her spine as she watched Vilkas separate a mummified arm from its body. The thing knocked the Nord backwards with fluid movement. When it saw that Vilkas was down, the thing shifted its attention from Vilkas to Valleri and her feet refused to move.

Valleri steeled herself and waited for it to come to her before making any sort of move. She stepped higher onto the staircase behind her. In only a moment, the thing was close enough for Valleri to hit. She felt her blade make contact with its neck. The thing barely slowed as it continued to push her back. Valleri attempted to hit it again before the thing slouched forward. Vilkas was standing behind it with his sword half way into it's back. The man grunted as he pulled the blade out.

Unfortunately, the thing didn't take its attention off Valleri and the woman could see a cloak of white lightning beginning to surround the thing's forearm. Valleri moved to the final step of the stair case, side stepping all the while to avoid its arm.

Valleri couldn't do anything as she failed to feel her foot contact the ground.

The woman's heel began to slip as her foot hit a slick patch of stone underneath her. Valleri began to see things in slow motion; in the far background Aicantar had grabbed the thing's spare staff and was beginning to shoot off a spell. Meanwhile a look of panic flashed over Vilkas' face. Valleri couldn't stop herself from falling but she could at least take something down with her. Valleri felt rotten bones snap as her blade connected the thing's abdomen.  
Finally, there was a sharp pain on the back of Valleri's head and everything went black.

…

Valleri groaned but didn't open her eyes. The nape of her neck felt slick and cold compared to the rest of her head. She was slouched against someone's back, hands grasped onto her thigs tightly to balance her against each wide step taken. The movement reminded the woman of being on a ship. Slowly, Valleri forced her eyes open. Her head was propped against Vilkas' shoulder and Aicantar was following next to him. It was already dark out and Valleri could see Vilkas' profile illuminated by the moonlight.

"What happened?" Valleri's voice came out as a hoarse whisper.

She saw Vilkas look up at her from the corner of his eye. "You're awake then?" he glanced back forward, "We're almost to Karthwasten."  
"What happened to the flying dragur thing?"  
"The dragon priest? Aicantar ended up killing it with its staff right after you were knocked out. You missed a good show."

Valleri turned her head to look at the Altmer beside them. Aicantar laughed to himself, "It really wasn't much."

Valleri buried her face back into Vilkas' warm shoulder and hummed. Her eyes closed again and Valleri didn't say anything further. She let Vilkas carry her further towards the village. The Imperial felt content as she was reminded of a time before her arrival in Skyrim.

It wasn't long before she felt the Nord stop. The grip on her leg lessened and Valleri let herself slip away. Her feet landed on the stony ground with a thud. She wiped the sleep away from her eyes and narrowed them as she saw a group of people gathered in the middle of the village. Valleri's shoulders tensed up as the figures began posturing aggressively. This wouldn't end well.

Valleri began to walk forward, legs still unsteady. She could hear Vilkas call out behind her, "Valleri, stop. Don't be a fool."

She turned around quickly, fire in her eyes, "You can come or not, Vilkas." Valleri all but ran to the people. Ainethach was already yelling obscenities at some burly looking Nord standing opposite of him. She stopped in the middle of the group, looking around at the miners and mercenaries around her, "What the fuck is going on here?"  
Ainethach turned to her with a look of desperation, "I'm getting shaken down!"

"We're only here to collect on debt, old man," the Nord stated gruffly. He crossed his arms in retaliation while Valleri shot him a glare. "Who in oblivion are you anyways?"  
"That doesn't matter right now!" Valleri shouted. She spun back to face Ainethach, "What happened?"

Ainethach didn't answer her, instead glancing to Vilkas and Aicantar rushing up. Valleri stared at him until the Breton made a move to talk, "These thugs just showed up and started demanding that I hand over the deed to my mine."

"It's a fucking debt, Ainethach," the Nord snarled. "You still owe us for clearing out those Forsworn."  
"That was almost two years ago, Atar!" Ainethach yelled over Valleri. The man exchanged a worried glance with Valleri, "Please, you've got to believe me."

Valleri huffed before addressing the Nord, "Why collect after all this time? That's ridiculous."

"Why the fuck does it matter to you?"  
Valleri paused for a moment. She could see Vilkas and Aicantar out of the corner of her eyes; her black-haired Nord was staring at her disbelief. "You're probably right. But I'm on a job for Ainethach over here and taking advantage of innocent people doesn't sit well with me." Valleri gestured to the road, "I don't care to know your name, but just leave. You're not wanted here."

"You don't know what you're talking about, girlie. You really shouldn't be sticking your nose in other people's business," the Nord seethed. Valleri could see his patience was wearing thin.

"I'll repeat myself then; leave." Valleri didn't move as she continued to stare the man in the eye.

"Fucking Imperial. I don't have time for this shit."

Valleri felt Vilkas tap her forearm, "Neither do we. C'mon Valleri."  
The Imperial woman slapped his hand away with a quick motion. "Shut up Vilkas," Valleri glanced back to the Nord in front of her, "If you don't have the time, then go. It's so fucking simple!"

"Stubborn bitch. If you really want me and my men to go, prove it." The Nord took a wide step towards Valleri. Valleri felt her heart begin to race; she harshly miscalculated the size of her opponent.

Valleri began to laugh, "You couldn't hurt me even if you wanted." She felt a surge of satisfaction when the Nord's face turned a bright shade of red.

"Yeah, no. that's not happening."

Valleri turned back to see Vilkas taking off his cuirass to reveal a plain tunic. She stared at him with wide eyes as he strode next to her. "Vilkas, by the divines, what are you doing? This is my fight!"

"It's really not," Vilkas down at glanced at her. "Be honest, Val. In the shape you're in, you wouldn't last two seconds."

Valleri stepped back and huffed, "Fine, you win this one."

The Nord facing them looked smiled widely, "This should be fun! You really think you can go into a fistfight with no protection?"

Vilkas shrugged then rolled his shoulder back for a stretch. "Listen, friend, after the day I've had, I really don't want to bash your face in. But then again, I can't let Valleri lose a fight when she has a point." Valleri gasped as she watched Vilkas throw a heavy punch at the Nord's face. The Nord staggered back a bit. He looked up and wiped some blood away from his nose with a smile. The woman strode backwards next to Aicantar, eyes wide. She winced with each blow exchanged.

It hadn't even been a full minute when, finally, Valleri watched the Nord land a blow on Vilkas' face and her friend went down. Aicantar held Valleri back from running to stop the fight. The elf's grasp on her shoulder was too tight and Valleri didn't have the energy to wriggle away. She felt a lump in her throat appear as the opposing Nord kneeled down to pummel Vilkas to a pulp. The woman bit down on her tongue hard to stifle a yell as one blow after another connected. Aicantar let her go as they both saw Vilkas grab onto the Nord's arm and flip him onto the ground with a fluid motion. Vilkas hit the back of the Nord's head hard and his opponent went cold.

Vilkas breathed heavily as he turned his head to address the rest of the mercenaries. He spoke with as much authority as he could muster, "Leave now and take your milk drinking leader with you. This land isn't fit for any of you to rot in!"

Valleri didn't bother to watch the others leave and rushed to meet Vilkas. The mas was still kneeling on the ground, head hung low in exhaustion. She grabbed him by the shoulder gently then pulled his face to get a good look at him. Valleri cringed when she saw his black eye and split lip, "Gods, are you all right?"

Vilkas breathed out heavily and wiped away more blood coming from his nostrils. "I was just in a fucking brawl. What'd you think?'

Valleri frowned as she tore a piece of her cloak to wipe away the blood form his lip. Vilkas winced as she dabbed away the red mucous. "Don't be an ass, I'm trying to help."  
"I don't need your help though," Vilkas protested. Valleri glared at him then her expression melted into another sorrowful frown. The expression looked unnatural to him and Vilkas could feel a pit form in his stomach. He sighed and relented, "Fine, but only this once."

Valleri suddenly looked down at the ground and he could see tears forming at the corners of her eyes. She was frustrated and tired and Vilkas felt similarly. "I am so sorry," he heard her whisper. The Nord felt the gash on his lip burn as she tried to work quickly. Sleep began to take him and finally Vilkas slumped onto her shoulder. Vilkas felt Valleri wrap an arm around his shoulder before he fell asleep.


	16. Chapter 16

Valleri sighed as she looked across the room. Vilkas was sleeping on the bed next to the window, head buried into the pillow. Any tiredness or pain Valleri felt earlier was almost gone as she watched him from her seat. There was a pang of guilt in her gut when she thought about the fist fight with the hustlers. Vilkas was a tough person who was trained for fighting, but having him meander his way into her own arguments was gut wrenchingly sickening. She shouldn't have to have Vilkas do that for her, regardless of what he thought.

It was too late now; Vilkas' face was beaten nearly to a pulp and Valleri felt like a wet rock. Aicantar had been gone for only few hours. Ainethach had been a bit hesitant at first, but when the old Breton heard about how their trip into Ragnvald went, he offered for all three of them to stay the night.

The Imperial had to admit there were some perks for sticking up for people.

The woman heard the front door creak open and she turned to see the Altmer walking in from the outside. Aicantar's hair was still wet but he looked much more refreshed than before. Smiling, he addressed Valleri, "Bath's ready for you. I told those nice people that you'd be over in a few minutes."

Valleri glanced at the elf before looking back over to Vilkas. She sighed. "Thanks. I'll leave in a moment."

"You feel bad, don't you? I can see it written all over your face."

Valleri winced. "It's hard not to."

"Well, don't beat yourself up over it," Aicantar muttered.

The woman laughed dryly, mouth turned up into a smirk, "Right, otherwise Vilkas might end up with more bruises."

Aicantar quickly looked at the ground in embarrassment, face turning bright pink. "Gods, I am so sorry."

"Why? I was the one to make the joke." Her eyes didn't move from the Nord in the bed.

"I dunno. The set up was ridiculously easy." Aicantar sighed and slouched down in chair near Valleri. "That reminds me, what's Lexius been up to recently? Is he coming back to Skyrim soon?"

Valleri felt her chest tighten up at the question. She breathed out and thought before answering the Altmer, "Lex is dead."

"Wait, what?"

"Lexius died about a month or so ago."

"Gods, that's horrible," Aicantar rubbed his hand over his face and breathed out. "Damn it! I was hoping to meet him again."

"Crafty Redguard got to you too, huh?"

"Yeah. Even though he stole my notes and split, I'd still consider him a good friend."

A small smile rose on Valleri's lips. "I'm glad."

For a while there was a lull of silence. Aicantar stared at the table in front of them and drew circles into the wood with his finger. He looked up to Valleri once more, "What about Alastaros?"

"He's dead too," Valleri muttered, her voice dry and emotionless. "Same time and place as Lex."

"Why are you here then? Are you giving up on the necklace Lexius mentioned?"

"That's why we came actually. Lexius was able to make sense out of your notes and had a general idea of where the Ayleids stashed it."

"Oh." Aicantar perked up suddenly, "Do you still have the notes?"

Valleri shook her head. "No, I'm assuming they were destroyed when we were attacked."

"So, you're just going to give up?"

Valleri paused. Vilkas started groaning and shifting in his sleep. She watched him with narrowed, tired eyes. The woman breathed out with relief when he finally settled, "I'm not entirely sure yet. There's been a lot going on and I haven' had a lot of time to think about it." She tilted her head and propped it on a free hand, "Plus, all of Lex's and Alastaros' personal notes are gone, your stolen notes included. I'd have to start all over again."

Aicantar sighed, "Was it actually a necklace?"

"The only clear part was that it was a tuning crystal set as a pendant. The pendant was supposed to act as key when the holder got close enough to some sort of hidden vault in Sedor. Some sort of magical bull shit like that."

"Were you the one who figured it out?"

Valleri grinned widely now, "Yeah, I was the one who translated that. There was a whole library of scrolls and I only ended up making it through a few of them before a I found it."

"Oh damn, that's lucky."

Valleri hummed in response, "Well, it was."

"You could always just get a new team to go with you," Aicantar mentioned. He gave her a soft smile and the Imperial woman chuckled to herself.

"I can't though. It's probably not worth it. It's already taken two lives and I don't want to lose anymore people." She looked back to Vilkas with a small frown. Vilkas laying face down into his pillow and snoring rather loudly. Her frown only grew wider.

"Like Vilkas?"

The woman shook her head slightly, "I think just anybody. Lex and Alastaros were the two most important people in my life. I don't have anyone else to lose," Valleri paused, "But other people do and I can't take that away from them."

Aicantar watched her closely, face emotionless besides a curious upwards tilt of his eyebrow. She finally looked at him with a soft smile, "You said there was a bath ready in the other building?"

"Yeah. You look like you need one."

She laughed, "It feels like I haven't had a proper bath in months, at least not since I left Anvil."

The elf leaned back in his chair and stretched. Wringing some excess water from his hair, he got up and started down the stairs. "Well, since you're leaving, I'm gonna say good night."

Valleri looked at Aicantar with a confused frown, "You're not going to take the other side of the bed?"

"No, I don't think I'd fit," Aicantar laughed nervously, "Besides, the idea of sleeping next to your friend there scares the shit out of me!"

The Imperial woman shook her head with an entertained smile, "Coward." She took one last look Vilkas before heading towards the door. The Nord was still laying face down in the pillow, but the snores were replaced with a low, agonizing groan. With out thinking, Valleri strode over and placed a hand in his shoulder. She smiled as Vilkas seemed to calm down. Didn't she hear somewhere that werewolves only had nightmares?

…

The sun was already pouring through the window by the time Vilkas woke up, bright light pouring into his eyes. He groaned and turned over onto his back. Muscles were sore and bones creaked as he moved and Vilkas only had a vague idea of what had happened the night before. Guessing from the way his lip and eye burned, it probably wasn't good.

The Nord sat up in the bed and took a quick look around. The room around them was cluttered and lived in; items scattered here and there, books piled up high on a table near the hearth. Water droplets of melted ice clung to the inside of the windows. Valleri was curled in chair near the opposite side of the room. A blanket had been haphazardly thrown over her as she slept with her neck sloped at an uncomfortable angle.

Vilkas continued to stare at her from his spot on the bed. Valleri was still fast asleep, breathing evenly and expression nearly blank. Every once in while, he could see her shiver. Had she been there all night?

Finally, Vilkas threw his legs over the side of the bed and the soles of his feet landed with light tap. The floor wasn't as cold as he'd expected and Vilkas glanced back at Valleri she was still there, sleeping peacefully in the chair. He strode over quietly to hearth and placed another few logs onto the dying fire. Dull sparks flew as a plume of smoke rose from the ashes.

Valleri finally began to move, eyelids fluttering open slowly. She brought the blanket closer around her neck as she looked about the room. The woman glanced down at Vilkas, eyes full of sleepy confusion, "Where are we?"

"I'm assuming Karthwasten. Where did you think we were?"

Valleri paused a moment. She looked around the room once more then answered, "I could have sworn I was back in Anvil, in the sitting room of the manor." Valleri sighed as she watched Vilkas' eyebrows furrow together, "It's really sunny is all."

Vilkas nodded his head as he poked the fresh logs a bit then stood up. Valleri watched him with bored eyes as the Nord raised his arms up in a stretch. "How's your neck?"

The woman chuckled to herself, "Not as bad as your face probably."

"Fuck, don't remind me. Black eye will be gone in a few days, but my lip will probably scar over."

"Are you worried about it?"

"Not particularly. Just disappointed maybe." Vilkas groaned, "Why'd you let me do that, anyhow?"

"Don't ask me; if I recall correctly, you're the one who jumped in unexpectedly. I was just the concussed idiot who decided to poke fun at an angry Nord."

Vilkas stared at her blankly for only a moment before turning back to the fire. It was beginning to burn brightly in the hearth and the smoke was wafting nicely into chimney. Vilkas sighed and looked over to the other side of the room. The lithe form of their elvish friend was bounding up the stairs. Obviously, Aicantar had rested well the previous night.

The Altmer smiled widely when he met eyes with the Vilkas and Valleri, "You two are up late!"

Valleri frowned, "Too early Aicantar, way too early."

The elf laughed, a high-pitched noise that felt unnatural to Vilkas' ears. "Well, not really though," Aicantar insisted. "To be honest, I thought you two would have left already."

Valleri and Vilkas exchanged a questioning glance before Vilkas turned back to the Altmer. "I thought we were waiting for you?"

"Why though? I can make it back to Markarth on my own."

"Are you sure?" Vilkas muttered.

"Yeah I'm sure," Aicantar replied, tilting his head to the side. "I don't have a lot with me so I could probably leave in a few minutes and make it there this afternoon. And I'm sure you two want to make it back to Whiterun as soon as possible."

Valleri exchanged a soft look with Vilkas, "We can't argue with that."

"See, Valleri knows." Aicantar laughed to himself as his two friends looked on with tired eyes. Vilkas was still relatively amazed that he had so much energy after their ordeal in Ragnvald. "It's not like I won't ever see you two again though."

Vilkas laughed dryly, "Not unless you come to Whiterun. I wouldn't want to visit the Reach again for a while after this."

"Well, that's your prerogative then," Aicantar shrugged. He looked at Valleri, still curled up in her chair, with a grin, "But Valleri, let me know if you start searching for that necklace again. I'd like to see where that takes you."

Valleri smiled sadly as Aicantar took her hand, "Me too, though I doubt I will."

"We'll see. But I wish all of the luck on your travels ahead, whether over land or sea." Aicantar shook her hand and went paused to exchange a final glance with Vilkas before leaving the house.

Vilkas furrowed his eyebrows and looked down at Valleri, "What was he talking about?"

"With the necklace?" Valleri paused, looking back to the fire, "It's what I came here for."

…

The two of them left Karthwasten later that afternoon and Vilkas was mildly concerned over the lack of inane chatter from Valleri. The woman seemed to have been lost in though since Aicantar went his sperate way. Something must have come up between the two of them that Vilkas didn't feel comfortable prying into. It wasn't his place; he learned that quickly after asking Valleri about the necklace that Aicantar had mentioned. She wasn't angry or upset, just conflicted. Whatever it was, it had important to her.

Valleri looked up to the sky, noting a dull grey that covered the usual blue. She sighed as she willed herself to continue on. "How long have you been a part of the Companions?"

Vilkas looked over his shoulder with confusion, pausing before he answered, "Since I was about seventeen, I think. I lived at Jorrvaskr a lot longer but that's when I took my first contract"

"What sort of contract was it?"

Vilkas surveyed the path before them as he waited for Valleri to catch up. The Imperial's cheeks were beginning to redden in the cold and Vilkas couldn't help but notice that her freckles were blending in with her skin. "It was an extermination job. Farkas and I were sent out to Rorikstead to take care of a den of wolves preying on livestock for food. Looking back, it was probably one of the worst jobs we could give someone, but it was us and we were young kids. Couldn't have been happier." He glanced down at Valleri, "Why're you asking?"

"I dunno really; just curious," she paused, "How about when you joined the circle?"

Vilkas frowned a bit, "That's not exactly something I'd share really."

"Well, it's your story, not mine," Valleri muttered. She looked off into the distance with a mild look of disappointment as the both of them continued onwards.

The Nord could feel a pang of guilt. Valleri was trying to be friendly after being so broody earlier, that was all. He could hear Skjor yelling at his back to not be an ass and be nice to the newcomers.

Sighing, Vilkas began to speak again, "I guess I could tell you, but only if you tell me something about yourself in equal measure."

Valleri cocked an eyebrow, "Equal measure, huh? That shouldn't be too difficult." Vilkas watched as his companion smile widely for the first time all day. She exchanged and entertained glance with him, eyes full of alert energy again, "You first, Vi."

Vilkas paused, unsure of where to start. He breathed out one more time, his breath turning to steam in the cold, "I joined the circle a few months before Faraks did about six or so years ago. I was sent on a rescue mission with him and I ended up having to drag him back to Whiterun with a broken leg while the lady who was stolen was returned safely to her home. Farkas spent a few weeks walking around with a limp. It was a whole fiasco."

"What happened after?"

Vilkas cringed internally, a sickly feeling rising in his chest, "Skjor was the one who offered me the beast blood. I was a young fool back then; I took it with out thinking. The first night was rough. I almost ended up killing a guard before being chased out of the city. I had to keep a low profile for a while."

Valleri smirked to herself, "It sounds more like a hassle than anything else."

"You know, the more time wears on, it really is. Don't get me wrong, being a werewolf has it's perks; but it feels wrong," the Nord muttered half to himself.

"Does Farkas feel the same way?"

Vilkas shook his head, "You'd have to ask him. He took to the blood a lot better, but he usually follows my lead with stuff like this." He looked up at the craggy sloped around them. The river was still rushing next to them and Vilkas could see steam rising up from the water. "I worry about him sometimes; Farkas is indecisive."

Valleri narrowed her eyes, "I didn't really catch onto that. Your brother just seemed really forward to me. I guess I don't know him as well as you do though." She laughed to herself as the woman continued to trudge on through the snow.

"What about you? You promised an equal trade and I've upheld my end of the bargain," Vilkas reminded. The Nord looked down expectantly at Valleri as the Imperial narrowed her eyes in thought.

There was only a moment before Valleri's eyes lit up with excitement, "Oh, I know! One time, Lex and I got lost in the sewers underneath the Imperial city."

Vilkas looked at her in disbelief, "Wait, what?"

Valleri hummed positively, "We were trying to sneak our way into the Arcane University library since we had been kicked out before. We got lost for almost two days before finding the right tunnels. Lex got bit by rat, it was wonderful."

"Aren't there vampire covens and shit like that down there?"

Valleri laughed once more, "Yeah, apparently. But we never found any. A good thing too; creatures like that require silver weapons to kill, and I didn't have any at the time."

"You do now though?" Vilkas questioned.

The woman shook her head, smile fading, "Well, I did, but it was lost during the ambush. Alastaros had it commissioned for me when I started joining him more regularly during expeditions." Valleri sighed, "I'd love to see it again. That sword was like another arm."

"A pure silver sword; that's never quite sat right with me," Vilkas tilted his head in thought, "But I can see the merit, even now that you're living in Jorrvaskr."

"Really now?"

"You said it yourself before; if you get into a tricky situation, a silver blade wouldn't be such a bad idea," Vilkas suggested. He watched as Valleri silently considered the idea with a serious expression.

"I'll look into it then," she muttered before stopping on the road. Vilkas followed suit, noting a robed figure approaching them quickly. Whoever it was, they were tall and through the hood, Vilkas could see an elvish face covered with old burn scars formed into intricate tattoos. Something about this elf made him uneasy and he could see that he made Valleri uneasy too.

"Hail and well met!" The figure called out, voice chipper despite the cold.

To his surprise, Valleri stepped forward to offer a greeting, "Well met, Altmer. Is there something we can help you with?" Her voice was smooth, even welcoming, but Vilkas could see from the she held herself, Valleri wanted nothing to do with this elf. "We're on a bit of a tight schedule."

"Yes, of course. I was just wondering if you could tell me if I'm heading the right way towards Markarth? I'm supposed to meet an associate there."

"You're heading in the general direction; the rest of the way will only take a day or two."

The elf smiled from underneath his hood and Vilkas could feel goosebumps begin to form all over his skin. Something about it seemed so unnatural.

"Wonderful!" The Altmer exclaimed, beginning his trek once again. Vilkas could see Valleri start to loosen up when the elf once again addressed them, "You wouldn't know if another Altmer by the name of Aicantar is there, would you?"

Vilkas watched Valleri pause before turning around with a cold, impersonal expression. "I don't know anyone by that name. I'm sorry but I can't talk any longer; goodbye."

The Imperial woman began to walk away quickly, refusing to look backwards as the Altmer and Nord were left behind.

It didn't take long for Vilkas to catch up to her but he didn't say anything until the elf was far behind them. "Did you know that man?"

Valleri shook her head, "I'm not sure. I just got a bad feeling." Valleri glanced up Vilkas with uncertain eyes, narrowed to avoid the glare of the sun reflecting off the snow, "Let's get back to Whiterun."


	17. Chapter 17

Getting drunk in the middle of the night was never a good idea, even by Ysolda's standards. She poured herself and her two companions another round as she, Aela, and Farkas sat at the upstairs table in Jorrvaskr. Ysolda hadn't spent a lot of time in the Jorrvaskr but that was quickly changing. Nearly every night for the past week, she'd make her way to the mead hall to make sure everyone was still there. When Skjor ran off, the entirety of Companions went into a frenzy trying to find him.

How Aela hadn't just completely deserted them by this point was beyond her. If Farkas ran off into the night with a hole in his abdomen, nobody would see Ysolda again.

Ysolda looked up when she heard Farkas' mug hit the table with a thud. The big Nord didn't look as chipper as usual and Ysolda sighed, "How much longer do you think Kodlak will keep up the search?"

"For Skjor?" Farkas paused, "Not long. He's gotta be dead by now."

Aela glared over at Farkas with cold, exhausted eyes, "What's the matter with you? Just because he's dead doesn't mean we should stop looking."

"And there's only so much time before wild animals find a dead body, Aela." Farkas gestured wildly with an arm, "Snow's been on the ground for almost a week, they get hungry out there."

The huntress looked at the mug of golden liquid before taking another gulp. "Skjor deserves to come home, even in death."

"I agree, but at this point there isn't going to be a lot to bring back."

"I didn't think that Skjor was such a believer in the old ways," Ysolda muttered. Her mug was almost empty, prompting her to slide it over to Farkas. Any more alcohol tonight would be a bad idea.

"He wasn't," Aela spat, looking forward with narrowed eyes, "It's a matter of honor. He'd do the same for anyone of us."

"You're not wrong," Farkas muttered. He looked back down at the table with frown and sighed.

Ysolda shook her head with a scowl before standing up. "You two are depressing. I get that Skjor's missing, but it's like I'm courting the wrong brother at this point," Ysolda stated before exchanging a quick glance with Farkas.

The man looked like a kicked puppy as he watched Ysolda starting at him, "That really hurts, but if you really want to, I don't think he's seeing anybody."

Ysolda's heart sunk like a rock. She gave Farkas a peck on the cheek before giving him a wide grin, "Farkas, I'm sorry! You know I wouldn't trade you for anything else."

Aela groaned as her two companions fell into their own little world, "I'm surrounded by imbeciles." She poured the last of the mead into her mug and gulped it down with renewed vigor. It was pitch black outside, but when she looked closely, she could see the making of a blizzard coming down. As much as Aela hated it, Farkas was right; Skjor was probably dead.

Alea looked up from the table when she heard the front door clatter open. Two snow covered figures entered, shaking the white flakes away from their hair and cloaks.

"I'm just saying that maybe the way you hold the grip is all wrong."

"And I'm saying that it isn't. Just because I didn't learn how to hold a sword the proper, Nordic way doesn't mean it's wrong."

"Who taught you, then? I'd like to talk to them about their teaching style."

"It was Alastaros' husband. His name is Skeeva and he's a very lovely Argonian."

"See, you should have just said that an Argonian taught you. It explains a lot."

"Oh, hey, Aela," Valleri muttered as she noticed the other woman listening to her and Vilkas' conversation. "I didn't think anyone would be up this late."

Aela narrowed her eyes in confusion, "Wait, what time is it?"

"About one in the morning."

"God's dammit to Oblivion, I'm not even surprised anymore." Aela clattered from her seat but stayed motionless as she felt the ground beneath her swirl. Then Nord sat down again suddenly and waited for the room to stop swirling. She couldn't have been this exhausted

Vilkas came up to Aela's side and rested his cloak on the table with a perplexed frown. "What in the world is my brother doing?" he questioned as the Nord finally saw Farkas and Ysolda still preoccupied with themselves.

"Desperately forgetting the events of the last week," Aela muttered groggily. Her head hit the table with a slam and she was out like a light.

Vilkas took a swig of what was left in Aela's mug and turned to Farkas, "What was she talking about?"

"Skjor ran off and is probably dead in the wilderness," Farkas muttered as he turned to face his brother. Vilkas exchanged a worried glance with Valleri behind him. What happened while they were gone?

…

Valleri and Vilkas slept uneasily into the next morning. The exhaustion of their trip into the Reach melted away only to be replaced with confusion as to what happened to Skjor. As far as Valleri was aware, the old warrior was getting better. But then again, a lot could happen in nearly two weeks. She knew that from bitter experience. Valleri didn't stray very far from Jorrvaskr in the morning. Vilkas seemed to be on edge all day, waiting for someone to tell him what was going on. All they both got were bits and pieces of Skjor's escape. It wasn't until that afternoon when Ria and Torvar came back did they figured everything out.

The two Companions came back only with a bloody, rusted sword. They had found the warrior's corpse face down in a ravine out towards the west. They didn't describe a lot of what they found, only that most of what was left had already been devoured by wild animals. Trying to bring back the body would have meant being denied entry back into the city.

Valleri felt her heart sink when she heard about Skjor's death. While she didn't know the man very well, but Vilkas and Farkas were visibly torn up. Farkas left Jorrvaskr as quickly as he could, finding Ysolda or Athis, Valleri assumed. Vilkas disappeared for most of the day. Where he was, Valleri couldn't guess. It really wasn't her business, besides Vilkas was probably sick of her. She couldn't blame him.

Aela had been another thing. Watching the abject horror wash over the woman's face followed by spiteful rage was terrifying and reminded her just how out of depth she was. While Valleri may have felt similarly about her own set of circumstances, this was not the time nor person to vocalize that to.

Skjor's impromptu funeral was bleak affair held later that night. Each one of the Companions gathered at the Skyforge where a priest of Arkay preformed last rights. Valleri didn't say anything as she watched from the patio below.

It wasn't her place.

…

Valleri leaned back further into her chair as she watched Masser and Secunda from window. The view was hazy and tiny crystals of ice clung to the glass pane, but the familiar purple light from both moons illuminated the room like torch light.

The room was eerily quiet. There was no drinking, no merriment tonight. Instead, the Companions seemed to have retired early for once. Even when some had to wake early the next morning, they would still be out with their compatriots. The quiet that Valleri had once relished made her uneasy now. It felt like something other than those tall mountains was looming over her.

It was easy to hear the pounding foot steps coming up from the basement, but Valleri couldn't pull her gaze away from the window. Finally, the woman glanced over when a familiar figure and bushy white beard took the seat across from her.

Kodlak looked at her with purple rimmed eyes, arm propped on the sill for support. She had never seen him look so old. "I'm surprised to find you awake, Valleri."

"Why wouldn't I be?"

Kodlak shrugged with a faint smile, "You tell me. People can't sleep unless something is wrong."

Valleri breathed in sharply, "There's a lot wrong, Kodlak. You of all people should know."

"Aye, I guess I should."

"Can I ask you a question?" Valleri muttered as she finally pulled her eyes away from the sky.

Kodlak stared at her blankly before registering what she had said. "I don't see why not."

"Was Skjor's disappearance related to the Circle's beast blood?" Valleri swallowed hard as she searched Kodlak's face for an answer. She knew it wasn't her business to ask, but it was beginning to eat at her.

Kodlak looked down at the ground with a look of shame, "Unfortunately no. If it were, it'd be easy for me to blame him for it. But there's no blame due anywhere except for myself. If I wasn't so single minded in the past, perhaps Skjor would still be here."

"You're talking about the argument Vilkas mentioned, I take it?"

Kodlak laughed dryly, "Vilkas told you?" He shook his head and the corners of his lips curled into a faint grin, "People think that Farkas would be the one to spill our secrets, but they forget that his brother is the one that actually speaks."

Valleri cocked an eyebrow as she watched the smile fade from Kodlak's expression. "Well, regardless, you could tell me why everything seems to be falling apart. I think I'd like some answers."

"You really are a scholar, aren't you?"

"That was the formal title, yes."

This time, Kodlak's eyes went to the window where Masser and Secunda were still high in the sky. Valleri didn't move as she watched the Harbinger search for an answer, eyes still locked on him. Finally, Kodlak sighed, "Taking the gift was a sign of tradition for us. For those early in our history, it was untapped source of power, and maybe it still is. There is nothing wrong with wanting to return to Hircine's hunting grounds after death, but I was promised Sovngarde, a place for my ancestors." The old man looked back to Valleri with a look of determination, "Young people will always make decisions they'll regret. It's how you live with that decision after that makes you an honorable person."

"What about Farkas and Vilkas? Don't they want out too?"

The Harbinger sighed in frustration, "Those two are one of my biggest regrets. I should have given those two another option rather than to take it and become Circle members or not. Skjor shouldn't have been so eager either."

"Why didn't you?" Valleri paused, before glancing back down at her feet, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean for that to sound so accusatory."

"You're just curious, I can understand that. I guess I was proud that something I had perceived as good or important was happening to them. I'd consider them sons if I wasn't such good friends with their parents."

Valleri's eyes widened as she made the connection, "That's right. Vilkas and Farkas were orphans, weren't they?"

"I'm not entirely sure if orphan would be the correct term for their situation. Their parents were old friends of mine form my earlier Companion days. They were kind people; their father Jergen was crazy, but their mother Ysra was good woman. She balanced him out well enough."

"What happened after that?"

"She died when the twins were still babes, and Jergen couldn't seem to handle it. He just up and left one day. I guess I felt responsible for them."

Valleri paused. She looked back at the window, mood deflated. "Do you think there's a cure for beast blood?"

"I've been working on that for years, Valleri," Kodlak paused, "Even if not in time for myself, then at least Vilkas would have time."

She turned to the old man again, confusion written all over her face, "Why Vilkas?"

"I'm not sure if you've caught on or not, but he's never quite adjusted well to the gift. I'm lost as to why, but he tends to lose control easily. There have been times where Vilkas will just disappear for days on end and he's not exactly himself for weeks afterwards."

"He actually told me a little about while we were in the Reach. I didn't realize it was that bad."

"Aye, sometimes it is. Now that Vilkas has been trying not use the blood, he's been getting worse. How the boy has been able to last this long is a miracle. I hope it lasts." The two of them sat in heavy silence while Valleri tried to process what Kodlak had just said. Finally, he looked up at her once more, "May I ask a favor, Valleri?"

"Yeah, sure. What is it?"

He breathed in sharply before speaking, "I worry for Vilkas. If something should happen, I'd appreciate it if you were there. I don't mean to ask you to follow him around constantly, but just be there for him if he needs it. Vilkas may try to put on a strong front, but he's still human."

Valleri got up from her chair and glanced at the ground before looking back to Kodlak, "I'll try. But I don't think you have much to worry about. Vilkas isn't as vulnerable as you think." She started to walk past Kodlak and the wooden beam that separated the room. Valleri turned back for a final time, "I'm going to bed. Hopefully I'll see you tomorrow."

Kodlak nodded in acknowledgment, "Hopefully."

…

The basement was colder then she expected. Valleri stared at the bed with a look of frustration; she was exhausted but there was no possible way she was going to sleep there tonight. Her conversation with Kodlak was draining and she was almost too exhausted to sleep on the hard mattress. Quietly she left the bunk room and went down the hall towards the Circle bunk rooms. Maybe she could borrow one of Skjor's blankets. It wasn't as if he was going to be using it anyways. The Imperial turned the corner into one of the adjoining hallways, hoping she had found the right one.

Instead, Valleri paused as she grabbed onto the doorway. Vilkas was already asleep, back turned to the open door. Valleri's mind went back to Kodlak's story and a lump rose into her chest. This time, Vilkas wasn't thrashing in sleep, but it didn't make her feel any better.

"I know you're there," Vilkas muttered, bringing Valleri back to the present. Slowly, he turned over to face her with a groan.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to wake anyone up." Valleri's voice came out as hoarse whisper and she couldn't help but cringe to herself.

"You're not very quiet. I could hear you a mile away," Vilkas paused, "What are you doing up anyways?"

Valleri glanced at the floor and crossed her arms as she leaned against the door jamb, "Too cold to sleep. I figured I'd search around for a blanket."

"Oh."

"Listen, I'll just leave. Sorry for waking you," the woman muttered as she turned to go back to the larger bunkroom.

"Val, wait," Vilkas called out from the room. Valleri paused and looked back once more. Vilkas glanced over to the side of the room as he propped himself up on an elbow. "I wasn't really asleep either. Why not just sleep in here instead of waking up the entire hall?"

"You're not serious, are you?"

She watched Vilkas shrug, "I'm not sure. Might help you sleep and you can always find another blanket in the morning. Now, are you coming or not?"

Valleri paused for a moment before walking back into Vilkas's room. He held up the blanket as she crawled into the bed next to him. Vilkas turned back over towards the wall, facing away from smaller figure next to him. Valleri rested her head on his back and tried make herself as small as possible. Vilkas was right though; this was much warmer. Finally, Valleri felt her toes begin to warm up. The cold was washed away and Vilkas' even breathing made her feel so at ease. Sleep came easily and Valleri welcomed the black abyss.


	18. Chapter 18

Valleri entered Jorrvaskr as quickly as she could. Evening Star had always felt so different for her. Usually, she could still go outside without feeling as though her fingers were about to fall from her hands and the streets typically weren't death traps. Staying in Whiterun over the winter may have been a mistake. But then again, here she was. The inside of the mead hall was annoyingly warm against her bare skin. Soon enough though, Valleri would be glad Tilma kept it so warm.

She draped her tattered cloak on chair before looking around the main hall. It was empty; most of the other Companions were still out in the training yard. In the time since Skjor's funeral, things slowly settled into a renewed normalcy. Aela and Kodlak had been scarcer since but the others were still preoccupied with normal business.

Except for Vilkas. Most of Skjor's old duties were dropped onto the hapless Nord without so much as inquiry about whether he really wanted to take them on or not. Unfortunately, Vilkas' opportunities for taking on new jobs were switched for clerical work that seemed to take up most of his time. Valleri smiled faintly as she saw the stack of papers on the table. At least the winter chill had slowed down any actual business.

Her smile grew as she finally saw Vilkas come up from the basement. He looked absolutely bored until he took notice of the Imperial by the door, "And where've you been?"

"Just out."

"I can tell. Your face is all red."

"Yeah, no joke," Valleri laughed. She took the seat next to Vilkas' stack of paper work as she watched him approach with look of resignation. "Looks like your day has been just as exciting though."

"Bones; I don't know how Skjor ever handled this."

Valleri propped her head on a free hand. "That miserable, huh?" Vilkas hummed with acknowledgment as he started shuffling through papers. Valleri couldn't help but grin; watching him try to focus on the stack of paper work shouldn't have been so entertaining. "It can't be that bad," Valleri muttered half to herself as she took a paper from the top.

"Maybe for you, but you live for this stuff."

"Not really. Most of the paper I used was for expedition notes or translations. No actual book keeping."

Vilkas cocked an eyebrow as Valleri continued to read the paper she had picked up. "You talk about translating stuff a lot. What exactly do you mean by that?"

Valleri shrugged, "Well the Ayleids didn't speak Cyrodiilic, now did they?" She looked up back to Vilkas, "Sorry, I didn't mean to sound so curt."

"No, you have a point. Learning the language is just the next step then."

Valleri laughed to herself, "More like muddling through it. Ayleidoon is really contextual and you start to lose that after a thousand or so years. Unfortunately, it's been a lot longer than that."

"What about the vocabulary?"

"That part's generally straight forward at least. A lot of the language is really similar to old elvish, so it has a few base words that can be combined for a larger vocabulary. It's not too difficult."

Vilkas sighed and looked out the window past Valleri. "I haven't read a lot on Ayleids, but they were the last elvish empire in Cyrodiil, right?"

Valleri perked up, "Yeah, that's right, though empire isn't the word I'd use. Old Ayleids were petty kings hell bent on revenge, even frequently turning on each other. The only sure time they started to resemble some sort of empire was when Perrif started to rebel."

"Perrif?" Vilkas narrowed his eyes in confusion.

"Saint Alessia," Valleri corrected. She watched as Vilkas stared hard at the ground with confusion. "Alessia was only title given to her after she made Empress. Periff was a more common name the Ayleids used."

"The more you know, I guess," Vilkas whispered, looking back to the paperwork in front of him. Valleri only continued watch her companion. "Why are you up here anyways?"

The woman paused before answering, "Just bored, figured you'd want some sort of distraction."

Valleri finally heard the Nord chuckle to himself. The two of them sat in comfortable silence while Valleri felt the feeling come back into her fingers. Her skin tingled and Valleri swore it was something she could never get used to, even with two months of blistering cold now under her belt. How Vilkas or Farkas could stand it was beyond her. Lucky Nords.

Valleri looked up as the front door open again; a cold wind rushed into the room. A Dunmer stood staring at her and Vilkas with a bored look on his face. "Oh, good. Some of you are still here," Athis said as he approached the table.

Valleri turned around in her chair, "Everything okay?"

The Dumer stopped next to her, red eyes falling on the paper Vilkas was reading. "No, everything's okay. Are you two busy?"

The Imperial took another look at Vilkas, who was trying desperately to focus n his work. She exchanged a look with Athis, "No, not at all."

Athis paused, considering Valleri's answer. Unimpressed, he turned to Vilkas, "You as well?"

"Depends on what you need."

"That's fair. Do you remember Shimmermist Cave?"

Vilkas looked up with narrowed eyes, "Sounds familiar. Why?"

"Trying to win a bet. Going into that cave alone isn't very smart." He glanced over to Valleri, "You two will do."

Valleri stared at the table in confusion, "Rude." She watched as Vilkas clattered out of his chair. "We're really going then?"

The Nord stared back at her with narrowed eyes. "Of course we are. I've been stuck inside all week. If I don't get out soon, I'm gonna go crazy." Valleri smirked to herself as went to the basement to grab her equipment.

…

Valleri breathing evened quickly as she leaned on her sword for a moment. Her arm burned as the gash continued to bleed. She'd have to bandage the wound up before they left for the next chamber. Athis and Vilkas were busy looking at spindly, white creature lying dead on the middle of the natural bridge it had dropped onto.

The giant spider and the rat were easy to take care of, but when the creature dropped on top of her, Valleri panicked. She was able to drive her dagger through its eye and clamor from underneath the thing. Vilkas and Athis were finally caught up to her to finish the creature off.

"What the fuck was that thing?" Valleri managed to cough out. She pried off another piece of her quickly diminishing cloak and began to wrap the scrap around the gash.

Vilkas tapped the thing's head with the tip of his boot, causing it to lull sickly to one side. Valleri felt her stomach churn. "That is a Falmer."

"You're not serious?"

Vilkas sighed as he exchanged a glance with Athis. "What'd you think they'd be like?"

Valleri took a step backwards, shaking her head, "I'm not even sure, but not that."

"Valleri, if you don't mind me asking, but where did you hear about Falmer?" Athis questioned.

"Some old letters I found. The Ayleids were in cahoots with the Falmer before Alessia took them down." Valleri grimaced as she watched both Vilkas and Athis groan. Athis actively pinched the bridge of his nose in disappointment.

"We're not looking for a history lesson, Val," Vilkas muttered. The Nord began to walk in front of the her, looking over his shoulder. "The Falmer are nothing more than savage monsters now."

"How unfortunate," Valleri whispered. She breathed out sharply and continued to follow her companions.

"Well, atrocities happen I guess," Athis figured as he strode after her. "I personally think it's a miracle they even lasted this long."

Valleri chuckled to herself, "Makes you wonder, huh?"

"Quiet you two," Vilkas muttered as the tunnel began to go dark. Valleri took heed and braced herself. She could feel chills run up and down her spine and anxiety settle in her stomach. She hoped they would find the end of the cave soon.

…

Valleri was breathing heavily by the time Vilkas had finished off the last of the Falmer. The creature elicited a high-pitched scream as Vilkas cut downwards and Valleri grimaced as she watched it fall limp to the ground from the corner of her eye. Quickly she tried to refocus on something else, wiping the blood off her own sword with the bottom of her cloak.

Vilkas turned over to Athis across the room, "How much longer do we have?"

"Not long. This was probably the last chamber of the hive."

"Thank the gods. I hate dealing with Falmer," the Nord muttered under his breath. He looked over his shoulder to the woman behind him, "Val, you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," She paused, "Hey Ahtis, what sort of bet are you trying to win?"

"Not at liberty to address that, suffice to say I'll be a very rich man soon."

Vilkas sighed with disappointment, "Don't tell me Farkas and Torvar have something to do with this?" The Dunmer shrugged but didn't say anything. Valleri watched with amusement as Vilkas continued to groan to himself.

"No need to be so upset. Let's just go," Athis said as he walked past Valleri. She took one last look at Vilkas before turning to follow the Dunmer. The Nord was looking at the ground with a look of utter frustration before she heard him begin to move. They didn't move very far into the tunnel when the sides of the cave began smooth out and small bronze pipes found their way out of the bed rock. Soon enough, Valleri saw a giant, golden door looming in front of them. She almost ran into Athis as the elf stared up at the door with indignation. Valleri took a step back and smiled unsteadily, "Were you counting on this?"

"Not really," Athis whispered.

"Well, no sense in waiting," Valleri said as she began to push past the elf. Suddenly she felt a tap on her shoulder and she turned to Vilkas looking at the door with scowl. "Something wrong?"

"I can hear something behind that door, like clockwork." He paused and gave Valleri a worried glance, "Just be careful, okay?"  
Valleri smirked, "Since when is that a priority?"

Vilkas shook his head and took his hand off her shoulder. Slowly, Valleri stalked up to the door and pushed it open, revealing only a sliver of the other side. Her heart stopped as she saw a metal golem, its back was turned to her. The thing was already preoccupied with an even shorter opponent when the room began to steadily fill with steam and she could hear another, familiar shriek of pain. Valleri backed up from the door as it swung further open.

"What's in there?"

She turned back to see Ahtis and Vilkas staring at her intently, "Depends on what it is, but it's a bit distracted."

Athis breathed out sharply, "What's it look like?"

"Large and gold. Started shooting out steam."

"Fuck, fuck."

"Athis, what in oblivion are you going on about?" Vilkas asked as he furrowed his eyebrows.

The Dunmer looked backwards with panicked, red eyes, "I didn't count on there being a fucking centurion."

"Oh," Vilkas paused, eyes widening, "Well, this was your idea. May as well go in there and take care of…" Vilkas trailed off as he watched Valleri begin to draw her sword and walk back to the door. She pushed it further open. "Valleri, wait a moment!"

"Shut up," She hissed. The Imperial began to sneak up behind the centurion before it turned around to face her. The mechanical golem rose it's arms up with hiss before it started charging for Valleri. Before the thing could land its attack, Valleri was able to roll out of the way and get behind it.

Surrounded, the centurion seemed to panic as Vilkas and Athis charged towards it. Steam once again filled the room. Valleri heard both of her compatriots yell before several loud clangs sounded from the wall of cloudy steam. She breathed out before swinging her own sword across the back of the centurion's legs. The woman felt the blade cut through a few wires before she stepped back to assess the damage. Gritting her teeth, Valleri watched as the centurion slowly turned around. Behind the large hunk of walking metal, she could see the silhouettes of Vilkas and Athis.

"Come at me, bitch!" Valleri taunted with a crazed grin, yelling at the top of her lungs. She braced herself as the centurion raised its hammer-like arm high into the air and brought it down. The arm caught the edge of he cape and Valleri started to panic. Quickly, she unclasped the garment and ran to centurion's side, while the thing struggled to free its arm. Valleri aimed for an unprotected portion of its backside and jammed her blade deep in. The centurion jolted and Valleri pressed her sword deeper in. Satisfied, the woman finally twisted it and she felt the metal blade break inside of the clock work innards. There was only a moment before it stopped twitching.

Valleri took a moment to catch her breath as both Vilkas and Athis approached her from behind. Athis stared at the centurion with amazement while Vilkas clapped her on the back. "Are you all right?"

Valleri smiled widely, pride washing over her, "Yeah, I'm fine."

Athis laughed dryly, "I don't think I've even seen anyone from the Circle do something quite like that."

"Hey, watch it," Vilkas snapped as he looked over his shoulder to the Dunmer. Athis only smiled wider and began inspecting Valleri's cloak still trapped in the stony floor with the centurion's arm. Vilkas turned to the sword in the centurion's back, "Are you gonna be able to get that back?"

Valleri sighed before glancing over, "Not at all. I was able to shatter it in the cogs. It's useless now."

"Well that's a shame." He watched as Valleri crossed the room and began rummaging around in the debris left by the Falmer. After a few minutes of shuffling around, Valleri seemed to have found what she was looking for. Standing up straight, Valleri looked the deformed Falmer blade up and down. Finding it to her liking, Valleri started off towards the exit.

"Wait a minute, Val. You're not actually going to be using that?"

The woman looked over her shoulder momentarily and grinned again, "Of course I am! It's a free sword and mine just broke. Take what you can, right?"  
Vilkas rubbed the side of his face with anxiety, "You're gonna get killed with that thing." He watched as Valleri shook her head and turned back around. She laughed as Vilkas watched her back disappear into the gloom.

…

The Skyforge was always windy, this late into the year especially. Vilkas nearly slipped twice on his way up, and he figured going down was going to be an equal pain. How the old smith was able to make up here every day was beyond him.

Eorlund was still busy, even as the sun was quickly setting under the horizon. The red glow from the forge illuminated the man ominously and all Vilkas could think of was daedra. He didn't say anything as he approached, instead watching as Eorlund took a long piece of metal out of the fire and began to strike it with a spare hammer. Sparks flew upwards with each hit and Vilkas could feel them land on his bare forearms.

In only a few moments, Eorlund started to speak, eyes still glued to his work, "You only come up here when you need something."

"Well, you're not wrong."

"I've been hearing about the new recruit today. Your skills are going slack, lad."

Vilkas grimaced, "Not at all. Valleri just took initiative is all."

"If you say. Now why're you here? I still have a lot of work to finish," the old smith gave him a glare from the corner of his eyes.

Vilkas paused, crossing his arms as he leaned further against the rock face, "I need a sword."

"That's not any different."

"Actually it is. The blade needs to be made of silver."

Suddenly, Eorlund looked up with a wide-eyed frown, "Are you mad? Ysmir's beard! Why'd you want a silver one?"

"It's not for me," Vilkas retorted.  
Eorlund's face melted into indifference as he looked back down to red hot metal in front of him. With a sigh, he threw the metal into a basin of water to cool off before glancing back to Vilkas. "Long blade?"

"Short blade. Probably with a longer handle too."

"Imperial or elvish style then."

Vilkas began to smile, "Exactly. The sooner its done, the better too."

The older man sighed in exasperation. "The Saturnalia feast is coming around soon. I'll probably start getting a lot of orders piling up. A sword like that might get lost in the mix"

Vilkas' smile melted into frustration, "Shit, don't remind me."

"That's right, you don't typically like celebrating, do you?"

Vilkas looked over the training yard. Most of it was still covered in snow from the last blizzard and nobody was motivated enough to shovel it away. He'd have to make sure one of the others started on it soon. "It's not that I don't celebrate. It's just having everyone in the same room at once is a bit taxing."

"I can relate." Eorlund paused, "I don't think it'll be too bad this year though."

Vilkas laughed to himself dryly, still looking over the training yard, "One can only hope."


	19. Chapter 19

Ysolda couldn't help but smile to herself as she watched Farkas come out of her small kitchen with a plate of fried meat. A smaller plate of crostatas she had made earlier in the morning was already on the table in front of her. While frying up some pieces pork was one thing, Ysolda was too proud to let anyone else make her crostatas. She had spent too much time as a girl perfecting the recipe. Even her mother grudgingly admitted to her superior baking skills shortly before Ysolda left for Whiterun.

Farkas pulled out the chair with a clatter and she eyed him with a grin. The larger Nord started taking the still piping hot pieces of fried meat. Ysolda could hear him hiss through his teeth and Farkas dropped the meat back onto the plate. "Still too hot?"

"Yeah," Farkas mumbled before taking one of Ysolda's crostatas for himself, "This looks good though."

"Most stuff looks good to you," Ysolda quipped, earning a shrug from Farkas.

"Can't argue with that." He took a larger bite out of the crostata and paused. A look absolute joy washed over his face and Ysolda laughed at his huge grin. "What's in this? Juniper berries?"

Ysolda paused for a moment, wiping a strand of hair behind her ear. "No, snowberries and some left-over apples I got from Carlotta."

"Left over from the cider, right?"

"Yeah, I'm not going to be the fool who wastes their food." Ysolda looked over the food before picking up one the still warm pieces of fried meat.

"You come from a big family, right?"

The smile returned to Ysolda's face and she sat back in her chair, "Yeah. Five brothers and my parents. I was a middle child." She exchanged an entertained glance with Farkas. "Bet it was different for you, huh?"

"Probably. Vil and I don't have any blood relatives around but the Companions are a bit like a family; sort of, I guess."

There was quiet pause, allowing Farkas to finish his crostata. Ysolda gave Farkas another glance, "I'm family, right?"

Farkas furrowed his eyebrows in confusion, "I'd like to think so. But that's something we can talk about more later. Maybe," the grin came back Farkas face as he pecked a kiss on Ysolda's cheek. He pulled back, "For now, let's just enjoy today."

"Right." Ysolda sighed, "We're actually doing that then?"

"Doing what?"

"Going to the feast together tonight. That's a sure thing, right?"

Farkas looked at Ysolda with down turned eyebrows and sad eyes. "I sort of thought we were."

The woman breathed out before taking one of her pastries. "I'm a tad bit nervous if I'm being honest. But I think I'm mostly excited about it," Ysolda took a bite of the crostata. She could see Farkas chuckle to himself as he propped his head on a free hand. "It'll be the first time I've celebrated Saturnalia with someone since I left home."

"Well, hopefully it won't be the last time either. Though, I do feel a bit sad for a few of the others," Farkas said.

"Oh, come on, Athis can manage just fine by himself. I'm not sure about Vilkas, but I reckon he'll be fine too," Ysolda sighed.

"He'll be fine. Knowing Vilkas, he'll just go the back porch and get drunk."

Ysolda shook her head before finishing the crostata. "That's just sad. He's gotta realize there's more to life than just work and bashing skulls. I don't think I've ever seen him let loose."

"I have," Farkas mumbled as he stared off into the distance with a frown, "It was horrible. If you think I could throw down, then Vilkas is somewhere far above that. Unfortunately, he makes for a sad drunk most of the time."

Ysolda shook her head, "Oh well." She paused before an expression of realization washed over her face, "Oh, that reminds me! Valleri's going to stop by to pick up a dress sometime this afternoon."

Farkas furrowed his eyebrows, "Wait, Val's going to the feast?"

"Apparently," Ysolda shrugged. She got up from her chair and started clearing empty plates from the table. "I should probably start cleaning up; if I don't do it now, gods know I won't until I have replica of the Throat of the World in my kitchen."

"Here, I'll come help." Farkas stumbled out of his chair, grabbing onto the wall for support.

"You don't have to, you know."

Farkas just shook his head as he grabbed the stack of plated from Ysolda and marched into the kitchen. "I helped make the meal and I finished my share. The least I can do is help you out with the mess."

Ysolda sighed as she watched Farkas disappear into the other room. "I figured there was a reason I liked you." Without another second wasted, Ysolda joined him for the dishes.

…

Valleri breathed out as she made her way to the Jorrvaskr's basement. She could feel a dull pang in her right side, a reminder of the old wound she had when she first joined the Companions in early fall. Several months had already passed and Saturnalia only served as a bitter reminder that she wasn't any closer to finding the monsters that killed her friends. Besides that, it wasn't as though Saturnalia was a particularly noteworthy holiday for Valleri either.

The Nords didn't exactly share those sentiments however.

Several people around town, most notably Ysolda, tried to explain to her that the feast held in Dragonsreach was more than just a celebration. They uttered flowery words about the feast being a lively beacon of hope and encouragement in the dark, cold winters of Skyrim. Something about coming together as a community and reliving the good times of the previous summer.

Valleri still didn't believe it, but who was she to turn down good food?

Still the pale-yellow dress hung over her arms only reminded the Imperial woman of the long, tedious sermons of the Primate back in Anvil. There was nothing more problematic in her opinion. When she asked Ysolda about the fancy dress, the Nordic woman just laughed. Of course, this was one of the few instances when the Nords had to make an effort to look half way decent. Ysolda mentioned traditions and decorum, repeatedly telling Valleri it wasn't that bad.

Valleri sighed once again as she entered the shared bunk room she had been living in for the past few months. By now the sight of the bed in the back corner was a welcome sight, especially since Tilma had provided the warm-blooded southerner with extra blankets.

Not that it didn't stop her from seeking physical human contact in Vilkas' bunkroom every few weeks or so when things got too dark.

Valleri swung the dress over the small screen separating her small area from the rest of the room before noticing the long, solid object wrapped in red wool on the mattress. The woman furrowed her eyebrows and set the note aside. Slowly she unwrapped the object, stepping backwards as the wrap fell to the ground.

In her hands was a sabre, silver gleaming in the candle light. The blade was sharp and curved, ending in a perfect point at the end. Small runes were carved into the metal near the dull side of the blade, the script almost to flowery to be Nordic. The handle was long with dark leather wrapped around tightly. Small brass tacks held the leather further in place. Valleri took a closer look at the craftsmanship, the end of the sabre was almost too well balanced to be any old sword. Somehow the grip felt natural in her hands. almost forgotten memories of marble ruins and grass lands opening out to a turquoise sea. Valleri's breathing hitched as she felt the tell-tale sting of tears at the corners of her eyes.

Carefully she placed the blade back onto the bed, picking up the dark red wrap from the floor. She held the fabric out in front of her. The fabric had been sewn into a light cape, pinned together with a small wooden clasp. The wool was thick and the tight weave would make for a durable garment. It was wonderful.

She folded up the fabric neatly on the bed beside the sabre. Finally, she reached for the note, "Sorry I couldn't find you earlier, figured setting it on your bed would suffice." Valleri chuckled, to herself before sitting down. Shaking her head, Valleri let the note flutter to the ground without a care in the world. "That fool. That absolute fool."

….

Jarl Balgruuf had been speaking nonstop for almost five minutes by the time Valleri had begun to find the whole thing tedious. Listening to some guy go on and on about community comradery and how things were going to get better with more hard work and care was almost as boring as chapel sermons.

Valleri took another sip of the mead in front of her as she watched the scene unfold from her chair in the corner away from main tables. Her eyes kept drifting away from the front and towards the people at the other side of the table.

Vilkas was seated facing her but he didn't seem to notice. Instead Valleri had never seen hm look so bored. She had never seen him so clean either. His choppy, black hair was washed and brushed out of his face, revealing the cold, stern expression she had grown so used to. Every few seconds she watched the Nord fiddle with his collar; the tunic he was wearing tonight was stiffer than usual and sported a higher collar. He looked very nice in the formal wear, but Vilkas had also never looked so out of place.

Finally, she watched a look of relief wash over his face as the Jarl called for a final toast and officially started the feast. There was loud wave of chatter as people began to move about the greater part of the hall. Valleri on the other hand didn't move from her spot on the sidelines, content enough to just people watch.

It didn't take long before Aela found her way to the Imperial woman. The Nord tapped her shoulder, making Valleri reel back with surprise. Aela looked Valleri up and down, cocking an eyebrow, "Well, you look spiffy."

"Yeah, but I think I'd rather take a punch to face than wear this dress," Valleri smirked as she continued to scan the crowd. Aela just continued to stare at her. The smirk disappeared from Valleri's face as she continued, "Dressing up like this never sat well with me. Reminds me of the chapel." The Imperial woman looked back to crowd towards the middle of the room, eyes finally landing on Vilkas talking to Kodlak.

"That makes two of us then. I'm surprised you even found a dress that fit you in the first place."

"Ysolda lent it to me. She mentioned dressing up for the feast and didn't give me much time to decline before getting excited. I didn't have the heart to say no," Valleri shrugged, taking another sip of the mead besides her. She handed the mug off to Aela, who promptly finished it off.

"That woman sure has ways of getting people to do what she wants."

"I don't think Ysolda's quite like that. She's been nothing but nice to me since I've got here," Valleri retorted looking back up to Aela with perplexed expression. Alea just shook her head with a small, amused smile. "Actually, most people have been really nice. I didn't expect that."

"What'd you think was going to happen?"

Valleri chuckled to herself, "Gruff Nords who'd throw me out of the city or something; I dunno," Valleri paused when Aela gave her a questioning side glance. "I'd been attacked the first day I got here, Aela. Don't blame me."

"I never said I did."

Valleri frowned as she turned back to watching the crowd, "You gave me a look." She paused when she failed to find anyone familiar in the thick crowd of people, slumping back into her chair with a sigh.

"Are you waiting for someone?"

"Not in particular," Valleri muttered, getting up from the chair. She walked past Aela, giving the Nordic woman a wave, "I'm going o go get some air. There's too many people here."

Valleri could hear Aela mutter something but couldn't be bothered to care what it was. As quickly as she could, the woman made her way towards the back of the building, clamoring up the steps to the second floor. The room was empty with the back and the large door at the end of the room was ajar, cold wind seeping in from the outside. Intrigued, Valleri opened the door and looked out.

Before her was a massive porch opening out towards the east. Mountains loomed in the distance beyond the massive stretch of field in front of Valleri. Slowly she made her way farther, stopping right in the middle of the porch. Looking upwards, Valleri could see thousands of stars littering the sky above her. Both moons were high in the sky, Secunda falling in front of Masser. The star light lit up the mountains with a flurry of strange, wondrous color.

Valleri found herself walking closer to the edge to get a better look. Cold wind buffeted her bare skin, chills running almost unnoticeably up her arms. The cold seeped under her skin, but Valleri didn't care. The view in front of her seemed so real but would vanish as soon as she looked away.

For the first time in a long time, she felt like herself again.

"Valleri, is that you?" a voice shouted from above her. The woman tore her eyes away from the mountains and looked to find Vilkas leaning against the stone wall on the walkway above. He almost laughed as he took a swig from a large green bottle. "One moment; I'll come down to you," Vilkas said as Valleri heard him walk across and descend the stairs to the porch.

Finally, Vilkas slowed as he approached Valleri. The Imperial shook her head as she felt her lips curl into a grin. "I thought you left," Valleri laughed.  
"No, not yet." A corner of his mouth curled upwards as he leaned on the railing and looked over the landscape in front of them, "I just wanted to cool off a bit. It gets crowded in there during these big events."

Valleri chuckled to herself before taking the bottle from Vilkas. "I know what you mean. You looked really uncomfortable during the Jarl's speech." She sniffed the contents of the bottle and scowled momentarily as she smelled the fruit infused alcohol, "What's in here?"

"I wan't sure when I took it off the table, but I'm sure its some sort of spiced wine. I know Balgruuf imports the stuff from Solitude this time of year." He watched as Valleri took a large gulp from the bottle, laughing nervously all the while, "You might want to be careful, that stuff has an unexpected kick to it."

"If it does, I haven't noticed." Valleri swirled the contents before handing it back to Vilkas. "It reminds me of a spiced citrus wine I had in Anvil."

"What now?"

Valleri eyes widened momentarily as she looked over to Vilkas, "I keep forgetting you don't have lemons or oranges here. What a pity."

Vilkas furrowed his eyebrows in confusion, "What the fuck is an orange? You're obviously not referring to the color."

Valleri burst out laughing before wiping a stray tear from the corner of her eye. She stared out over the mountains in front of them, "It's a sweet, bright orange fruit that grows on trees down south. We only really get them during the fall or winter when they ripen up. Juicy as hell though when you cut it up."

"And how would you expect me to know that?" Vilkas gestured wildly with his arm over the railing of the porch. With one hard swing of his arm, the Nord sent the bottle of wine over the edge and they both watched as the bottle landed somewhere in the darkness below them. Finally, Valleri heard crash moments later. "Well, shit," Vilkas mumbled before leaning back.

"That's an unfortunate waste of wine."

Vilkas scowled, eyebrows knitting together with disappointment, "Yeah, I know. It's not worth going back inside to get another one though."

Valleri hummed in acknowledgment before resting her head on her hands. Secunda had passed Masser in the sky, signaling their final descent. Beside her, Valleri could hear Vilkas quietly breathing in an even manner. His presence was calming as the thoughts in her mind started to finally slow down. Instead she focused on the way the light reflected off Vilkas' face almost the same way it did off the snow on the mountains. Grey eyes seemed silver, almost white in the pale light.

Valleri breathed outwards, glancing back up to him, "I want to thank you for the sword by the way."

"What sword?"

Valleri looked at Vilkas with a baffled expression momentarily before the grin on her face came back. "The one you left on my bunk with the shawl, you dummy."

An expression of fear and embarrassment flashed over Vilkas' face before he turned away from her. "That was nothing," he retorted, almost stumbling over his words as he tried to remain monotone.

"Why'd you do it though?"

Vilkas paused, straightening his back while he searched for an answer. Valleri continued to look at him with a faint smile. Finally, the Nord breathed out, "You lost your last one beating the crap out of a centurion. That should be reason enough."

Valleri tilted her head, "Maybe so. But it's a sabre made up of entirely silver. The last sword I had was from Alastaros and I treasured it," she paused, "This one is almost exactly the same, given only a few discrepancies. You could have given me literally any sword, Vilkas."

Vilkas didn't say anything for a moment, only looked at the dark gulf between them and the tundra below with a confusing expression Valleri couldn't quite describe. "The way you describe how much you miss Anvil is," he trailed off, gaze turning towards the sky, "It's so pitiful, but I don't think I've ever head anything so honest. It's such an integral part of you that being torn away from it all and having to redefine yourself almost from the ground up again is daunting even for an outsider. I don't think I could that even if I wanted to." Vilkas locked eyes with Valleri, his expression earnest, "That sword isn't the same one as the one Alastaros gave you, but I hope it helps you find yourself again."

Valleri almost stopped breathing, his words ringing in her ears. She could feel her heart pounding against her chest as she tried to look forward again. Something about how he spoke with such open heartedness struck a chord and Valleri couldn't remember how to react. She found her self moving to look at him again. They way the pale illuminated the assured, wistful expression on his face made chills run up her spine and her mind go blank. Slowly, Valleri croaked out a thank you before spinning on her heel to leave and recollect her thoughts.

When he was out of eye sight, Valleri leaned against the wall and let herself breath again. Without thinking, she buried her face in her hands. Her cheeks felt hot to the touch despite spending so much time in the cold.

Why did Vilkas have to be so right all of a sudden?


	20. Chapter 20

Valleri wiped the snow from her altar, setting the jug of fresh water on the stone surface. The sun hit her back like a heavy blanket. It wasn't long before she could feel the back of her neck begin to seat under the red, wool shawl. The wet sensation made Valleri feel disgusting. Still, it had been too long since Valleri had made the trip out of town.

Satisfied that the snow was gone from the alter top, Valleri poured the water into a silver pitcher placed towards the back of the altar after dumping out the left over, stale liquid she had used previously. Valleri scowled; the altar was dull without the usual flowers that Valleri would scatter around. The branches of snowberries she picked earlier in the day would have to do.

The woman stopped, backing up a step to look at her work. It wasn't bad; Valleri's small shrine in the hills behind Anvil was much better. But considering her situation, she could help but think that the tiny shrine was all right. The Dibella Valleri prayed to had put up with months of silence from Valleri, so having a new shrine was the best thing the goddess had gotten from her in a long time.

Valleri breathed out before kicking some more snow away from the base of her altar; she wasn't about to get her trousers wet before leaving for the day. Valleri kneeled down, leaning her head down on the stony edge. Breathing out once more, the woman closed her eyes and tried to clear her mind. The sun on her back made her sleepy all of the sudden and Valleri found herself stifling a yawn. Her hope of some sort of meaningful prayer was lost in another second.

Why the Divines didn't regularly fuck up her life or abandon her entirely was beyond her.

But then again, they did put up with worse people. It wasn't long before Valleri heard foot steps behind her. They stopped behind her, finally leaning on the rock wall supporting the roof of the cavern above them.

"Didn't realize you found an actual cavern for yourself," Vilkas' deep voice echoed off the rock and Valleri could feel it grate on her nerves. "It looks nice regardless." When Valleri still didn't move from her spot at the altar, she could hear the man drop a package to the ground and come closer behind her. She didn't have to look back to know he was staring her down.

Valleri sighed, opening her eyes while her eyebrows knitted together, "You couldn't have waited for me to finish and come back to town?"

Vilkas sighed, "Suppose I could have." The man paused before stepping back a step. "Kodlak gave us another job."

Valleri wiped the stray bit of snow from her trousers, "Again, couldn't it have waited for tomorrow?"

"Not exactly, no," Vilkas said, shaking his head, "We found another fragment."

"Of Wuuthrad?" Valleri turned towards the side and bit her lip, "Well shit. That was bad timing."

"Why? What's the occasion?"

"It's a feast day for Dibella. I didn't have it in myself to skip this one. Where's the fragment?"  
There was slight arch in Vilkas' eyebrow that made Valleri smirk to herself, "I still find it hard to believe that you're religious."

Valleri crossed her arms, "Because I don't push it on other people?"

Suddenly the large Nord looked sheepish, "Well, no. Just figured with your childhood and all."

Valleri breathed out, "Oh right…"

"Well anyways, the fragments in Falkreath," Vilkas muttered, "It's been a while since you've been down that way. Are you going to be all right?"

Valleri laughed dryly before taking her jug from the altar, "Of course I'll be fine. I don't see why I wouldn't." She shot him a confused look with downturned eyes, utterly concerned as to why he was being so anxious about Falkreath.

The look of unsure worry melted from Vilkas' only to be replaced with the usual questioning stare, "I don't know why I asked." There was a smile on his face finally and Valleri began to walk away from the cliff. As she left the cave, Valleri could feel the wind begin to pick up around her.

"Can I visit some friends of mine when we're down there?" Valleri asked.

"You have friends?"

Valleri scowled, "Fuck off. They helped me get back on my feet after the attack. They're good people." Valleri watched him shrug in the distance. She breathed out; Valleri didn't imagine she'd see Jalfi and Helgi again. But things were looking up. "Give me, like, fifteen minutes to grab my stuff. I'll meet you out here."

Valleri was almost to the road when she heard the man call out, "Val, wait!" Vilkas paused as he watched her turn on her heel, "I've got your stuff right here. I figured I'd save you the trip." Valleri shook her head once more and smiled as she watched Vilkas pick up the grip of her silver sabre and wave the blade around menacingly in the air. There was even a small pack already prepared; hopefully stocked with bandages this time around. Really, the thought was nice. The Imperial sighed; what in the world was she going to with her nearly full jug of water she had in her hands? 

…

If there was something to be said for Valleri, it was that she had an acute distaste for soldiers. Valleri couldn't remember a time in which Anvil wasn't full of legionnaires, even this long after the war. They were worse than sailors; they caused a ruckus at all hours of the morning and many of them had brought along the boom of skooma to Anvil in only a few years. And that wasn't even the worst of it.

Cracked Tusk Keep was situated low against the mountains behind it, but even from a distance, Valleri could see the fort was in heavy disrepair. Vilkas motioned for her to pause with a quick gesture, bring her attention to a small camp towards the left flank of the fort. A bright red and black tent made Valleri perk up. Breathing out, she could feel a shiver run up her spine. What in Oblivion was the Legion doing here?

This was just some ramshackle old ruin in the middle of nowhere.

Valleri shot Vilkas a concerned look, grabbing onto his shoulder to further her point. He looked back at her with a sigh, purple rimmed eyes narrowing. His eyes darted back to tent. The legionnaires had already taken notice of the duo and most of the activity in the camp came to a halt. Valleri could feel her blood go cold.

A man with a tall, red brimmed helmet approached them only to stop at a distance. "Hail and well met. What are you two doing here?" he called and waved his arm in the air. Valleri cringed at his voice, the posh Imperial City accent grated her ears. The helmet and the smug air about the man had told her that he was at least a captain.

Valleri nodded when Vilkas looked back at her. Turning back to the captain, Vilkas answered, "We're just here for an old relic. We had no intention of interfering with a siege."

"This isn't exactly a siege here," the man came closer with a lazy smile, "We were ordered to clear out and take the place over. Damn fort's full of bandits. but that's neither here nor there." He paused, looking past Vilkas towards Valleri. The soldier cocked an eye brow upwards when he finally met Valleri's eyes. He laughed, "I certainly didn't expect to see an Imperial sister all the way out here in the sticks! Where in the world did you get that nasty scar?"

Valleri felt her skin go cold; the way he had asked made her feel sick. "That's none of your business. I'd ask that you drop it," she retorted with a frown.

The captain put his hands up, smile still plastered to his face, "No harm meant. Are you two mercenaries or something?"

Vilkas' mouth turned into a scowl, "No, we're Companions. There's a piece of an old weapon we've been sent to get that my Harbinger believes is in that fort."

"Ah, see now! That just makes more sense!"

"Can we go in possibly?" Vilkas huffed.

The captain tapped his foot on the ground for a moment, "You see, that's going to be a problem. We haven't started clearing the place out yet. It'd be a real shame if some of the locals did so before us. Make us look bad, you know?"  
Valleri stepped out form behind Vilkas before the Nord could answer, "Why did you need the fort in the first place? This is leagues away from any rebel fighting force, it's strategically useless!" Valleri gestured wildly with her arms as she spoke.

"I can see you're a southerner, right? I can tell by your accent. It's all wavy and you roll your R's weird," the captain said, "But that's beside the point. You probably don't realize that a lot of the local Nords have taken to going across the border illegally these days because of the war. General Tullius wanted a few people to guard the main part of the border. Cracked Tusk was going to serve as that guard and when the Stormcloaks make their way down here, there will already be a fort."

"Or there would be."

The captain laughed again, "You got me there. Hey, you Companions are fighting types, right?"  
Vilkas' eyes narrowed with curiosity, "And what of it?"  
"We could use some extra back up in there. I've only got a handful of inexperienced greenhorns with me. Having an extra two blades would be a benefit."  
"Get to your point," Vilkas snapped.

"I like you," the captain quipped, "I'm offering you a deal. You help me take the fort, I make sure you get your relic or whatever it was. Benefits both parties."

Vilkas glanced back to Valleri, eyes searching for answer on the woman's expression. Valleri didn't break her icy stare from the captain. He sighed; there wasn't going to be any other way of doing this. The Legion was already camping out. "Doesn't seem like we have much of a choice. As long as we remain neutral here it shouldn't be a further problem." Vilkas stepped forward, "When do we start?"

The smile on the soldier's face turned excitable, "Just gotta get the men on their feet and then we can go."

…

The dust in the fort was thick despite recent human activity. Valleri could see thick swarms of dust motes floating in the dim light filtering in through the windows. The Legion soldiers around her only made it worse; they plodded around the first room of the fort like a herd of cattle. Dust rose with each foot fall and Valleri imagined it would only be another hour before she would choke on the air.

Valleri stayed a few paces behind the group. There had only been a few bandits in the first room that put up a nasty fight. The legionnaires that had filled the room were clumsy; new recruits sent on their first mission away from the main brunt of the war. Injuries abounded in the first foray with the bandits. The leader of the group, Captain Oriana, seemed to enjoy watching them, reminding Valleri of a father watching his young children doddle around with wooden weapons. She wasn't by any standard a master of sword work, but even she found herself cringing.

Vilkas paused, glancing over to Valleri. He shook his head, gesturing over to the legionnaires, "It would just be so much easier if they weren't here."

The Imperial woman narrowed her eyes with dismay. "I just…" she paused, "I just hate this so much. I made a promise to myself I wouldn't have any part in the military, no matter how small.

"You're overexaggerating."

Valleri shot him a serious, wide eyed glare. "Listen, I've dealt with enough of the Legion's shit to know I don't want my name pegged with them," she seethed.

The Nord stepped back when he saw the fire flicker through Valleri's green eyes, "What'd they even do down there? Ysmir's Beard."

"I'll tell you when we're alone," Valleri murmured as she nudged Vilkas' shoulder. She didn't say anything, only let her expression go sour, when she spied Captain Oriana walking up to them.

He was laughing when he approached and the sound made Valleri's skin crawl. He crossed his arms with a boastful air, "You two sure are quiet. How'd you think the men did though? Honestly?"

Vilkas only stared the captain for a moment with a blank stare before moving to speak, "Why in Oblivion did the general order such inexperienced lads to take over a fort? Their sword arms are useless." Valleri could see some of the legionnaires wince at the Nord's words. Vilkas made no effort to be quiet.

Captain Oriana hissed through his teeth, looking suddenly very self-aware. He glanced backwards before looking back to Vilkas and Valleri. "Well, I did ask for honesty. You know, since that seems to be the consensus, though, I was thinking that you two could head upstairs and scout the place out."

Vilkas and Valleri exchanged a relieved glance. The sour expression on Valleri's face melted into curiosity, "Any particular reason?"  
"Just figured you two would rather do something productive while you're here. My gut tells me there's only a few of the bandits left. Much rather have some competent fighters take care of them then get started on repairs. And I'm assuming you want your relic too, right?" Captain Oriana's eyebrow was arched at an incredible height that under any other circumstances, Valleri would have found it a bit silly.

Valleri glanced back at Vilkas as the Nord shrugged, "Sounds good to us."  
The captain laughed heartily, "Yeah, yeah. Me and my inexperienced lads will stay down here and make sure you don't get ambushed from behind." The captain gave Vilkas a final, haphazard salute before the Nord tried to catch up to Valleri. Captain Oriana shouted a quick good luck as the Companions disappeared up the stairs.

Valleri paused for moment, drawing the silver sabre from her side. The door in front of her was ajar and dim candle light flickered from inside. It was only another second before she could feel Vilkas come up besides her. Shadows flickered from inside, but Valleri sure that her friend could hear exactly what was going on inside of the room.

"Do you see anyone in there?"  
Valleri breathed out, "Yeah, just one, a big orc. They seem panicked."

He tilted his head and moved away from Valleri, "Shouldn't be too difficult."

Valleri nodded her head before cracking the door open more. Just as she expected, the orc turned around and swung a heavy axe down on the desk besides her. Valleri felt herself step back from instinct. As the orc leaned down, Valleri swung her blade across his bare chest, carving a large gash into olive skin. He looked back at her with a yell and Valleri backtracked into the hallway. She glanced over to her side when the orc was free of the door. With a sudden flash of movement, she watched as Vilkas made a finishing move on the orc and their olive-skinned friend was down for good.

Valleri bypassed Vilkas and went back into the smaller bed room in front of them. There was a large chest at the foot of the bed that caught the woman's eye. Swiftly, Valleri lifted the lid up only to be met with disappointment. There were only a few pelts in the bottom of the chest; nothing more.

Vilkas stood beside her, a small blood splatter smeared across his nose. "Nothing?"

"Nothing," Valleri sighed. She looked back up to Vilkas from her spot on the floor, "Do you mind checking the body?"  
"Yeah sure." He helped Valleri off the ground and left her standing on the room. She watched as Vilkas scrounged around on the corpse. "By the way, are you ever going to tell me why you dislike soldiers so much?" he shouted.

Valleri sighed. Suddenly she felt drained. "People up North don't hear about it much, but Anvil County has a lot of old family farmland. After the Empire was able to get the land back after the war, they stared taking it garrison soldiers. Something to do with how expensive it was to rebuild the old forts. More often than not the local farmers tried to rebel violently."

"They had nowhere to go then?"

The woman hummed as she looked over to the desk at her side. "A lot of the displaced people would come into the city and wreak havoc. There was time when I was a small girl when it wasn't safe to walk the streets at night. Things got better, but the memory remains."

Vilkas turned back, "But how many years ago was that? At least fifteen."

Valleri smiled a bit when she exchanged an exasperated glance with the Nord, "It doesn't matter how much time passes. When the Legion just keeps taking land that belongs to the people, going as far as killing them, it's horrifying. Skyrim's lucky the civil war hasn't come to that yet." Her smile turned into a grin when she saw a small brass key on the desk. She grasped it in her hand before making her way back to Vilkas.

The Nord rubbed the back of his neck in frustration before turning to look at Valleri behind him. She held the key up to show him and a weight fell off his shoulders. She spoke with a twinge of pride in her voice, face lit up like a beacon, "And Vilkas, you should know that legionnaires are horrible farmers."

…

It had only taken them a few more minutes to find the locked door and retrieve the fragment they came for. The black piece of metal felt heavy in Valleri's hands. She almost missed it in the rubble of the fort's vaults. Thankfully, Vilkas had seen enough of the other fragments to recognize it immediately.

Captain Oriana didn't stop them from leaving the fort either and Valleri was glad to be gone from the place. Her mood improved as soon as she stepped foot outside and the stuffiness of the fort's interior was left far behind. The woman smiled as she saw the rainy, foggy weather outside. The snow outside turned to slush, causing small pools of water to form in the ice beneath her feet.

Vilkas looked up to the sky with a scowl. He looked monotone in the silted light, hair and armor slick with water. Sighing, he turned back to Valleri behind him, "I keep forgetting how warm Falkreath can get. This rain is miserable."  
Valleri laughed to herself, still enjoying the feeling of raindrops on her face. "I think it's rather nice. I haven't seen rain like this in a while. It's dry where I'm from."

Vilkas just shook his head, "It feels unnatural."

Neither Vilkas nor Valleri said anything further as they continued their trek away from the fort. They stuck mostly to the decrepit, cobblestone path that wound its way around trees and rocks. Every so often, Valleri would try to look past the first layer of trees and into the depths of the woods, only to be met with inky blackness. For all she knew, creatures from old stories could have been stalking travelers on the road and none would have been the wiser. Somehow though, this part of the woods looked too familiar to harbor any monsters. Had she been here before?

Vilaks paused suddenly, Valleri almost bumping into his back. He looked off into the distance with a concerned expression. Valleri furrowed her eyebrows as she tried to meet his eyes, "Hey, is something wrong?"  
"You don't smell the smoke? It's smells like a house fire."

The woman tried to smile, a sick feeling growing in the pit of her stomach. "Vilkas, I'm not a werewolf. All I smell is the rain."  
"Right," he muttered as he covered his nose with a free hand, "It's thick and probably close by."

"Are we going to go check it out?" Valleri asked, voice serious. Vilkas hummed in response as he made his way down a side path. Valleri's pace quickened as she tried to keep up. Still, her gaze fell on the trees around her. As the smell of the smoke became increasingly present, the realization dawned on her.

The Imperial woman broke out into a sprint, running past Vilkas. It wasn't long before she came across a clearing. A windmill at the far side of the clearing was set ablaze, blades falling to the ground below. The small farm house on the other side was finished burning. The heavy straw roof was all but gone and dark smudges of black charcoal covered the remnants of a window.

Valleri couldn't breathe, her arms felt heavy as she watched Jalfi and Helgi's small farm be consumed in the fire. The two Nords, people she had gotten tot know in such a short amount of time after they had saved her, were nowhere to be found.

She couldn't move and it was all Valleri could do from lashing out horrifically.


	21. Chapter 21

Valleri almost didn't think as she ran to the farmhouse. Instinctively, she covered her nose to protect her lungs from the left-over smoke rising from the burnt-out ruins. Broken glass and ceramic pieces crunched under foot as she searched for any sign of Jalfi or Helgi. Her friends were nowhere to be found.

The rain around her began pouring harder and Valleri almost didn't hear Vilkas striding up from behind.

"Valleri, this isn't the time for some heroic gesture! Whoever did this is probably still here," Vilkas scolded as he grasped onto her shoulder.

Valleri turned to him, panic obvious in her wide eyes, "Vilkas, I knew these people. I knew Jalfi and Helgi. They took me in after I almost died."

Vilkas gulped. "Gods, Val…" Vilkas trailed off as he ran from out of the house and towards the windmill across the way. Valleri put the Nord out of her mind and continued to look for any sign of her friends. The rain was quickly washing away the carnage of the attack. The worst filled her mind and Valleri felt like she was going to choke.

"Valleri!"

The woman turned around to see Vilkas waving her over to the windmill. Valleri almost crashed into him when she ran over. Grasping her shoulder to help her balance, he gestured towards the bottom of windmill. The bricks making up the structure were splattered with sticky red, dripping down onto the dirt as the rain kept falling. Valleri turned to look at her friend, words failing to form as she moved her mouth to speak.

Vilkas shook his head, "I don't think your friends are alive."

"No, no. I've already lost two people. I refuse to believe they're dead; I can't," Valleri's voice went cold and she stared at the blood stain. Her eyes followed the red down to the ground, creating a trail towards the woods. Messy foot prints sunk deep into the mud.

"Valleri, it's hard, I know. But your friends are gone. You've got to accept it."

"Shut up!" Valleri shouted. She glared at him, teeth clenched together. Vilkas stepped back slowly as Valleri gestured back down at the ground, "They were dragged away, see?"  
The Nord sighed in frustration. He could see Valleri's eyes begin to water and she was shaking violently; whether from cold or sorrow, her couldn't say. Vilkas swallowed hard before rubbing his face with a free hand. "Valleri, it's raining and the snow on the ground is going to make it hard to track anyone."

Without thinking, Valleri watched as her hand collided with Vilkas' face. There was a look of confusion replaced his previously stern expression, but Valleri felt her back stiffen. "I don't give a shit, Vilkas! I have to make sure that whoever did this doesn't go unpunished!"

"Calm down for a moment; we'll think of something, okay," Vilkas said, tone even and reassuring. "I said it would be hard, not impossible." The woman looked at him with gut wrenching expression, a flicker of hope in her eyes. She rubbed a hand vigorously across her face, smearing ash across her skin. "You've gotta promise me one thing, though. Okay?"

"Yeah," Valleri answered, voice shaky.

"You have to listen to me this time around. I'm not letting you take any unnecessary risks. You're not in the right frame of mind to be going after people." Vilkas watched as Valleri stared hard at the ground beneath her feet. Thoughts visibly raced behind her eyes as she fought against the impulse to run off before him.

Finally, the Imperial breathed out, considerably calmer. "Fine, we'll do things your way."

Vilkas sighed with relief, taking his hand from Valleri, and looked back towards the trail leading into the woods next to him. The scent was faint, but it wasn't completely washed away by the rain. Soon, the smell of mixed blood and smoke would be the only thing he could use to track Valleri's friends. Daylight was almost gone and they couldn't stay here. If they did, there was a good chance that Valleri would freeze during the night.

Vilkas huffed before making his way into the woods, Valleri following him as best she could.

…

Several hours had passed before Vilkas was able to pinpoint where the murderers came from. Valleri had been eerily silent the entire time they spent searching for the camp. The bandit camp was heavily fortified with wooden walls and watch towers, making Vilkas was hesitant to approach. He couldn't hear or smell anybody.

The Nord looked to Valleri next to him. The woman's face was stone, mouth held in a thin-lipped scowl. "This is it then?" she muttered, voice cold.

"Yeah. It has the same smell to it at least. The blood trail ended a bit back but I couldn't be more sure this is the place."

Valleri shot him a glare, "What are we waiting for then?"

"I've got a gut feeling this place is a trap," Vilkas countered, "Look at it. This place is as fortified as Riverwood and there's no one here."

The Imperial shrugged with a sigh, "Listen, you can wait there if you really don't want to go in, but this is personal. I have to go." She stared towards the wooden gate at a fast pace, leaving Vilkas behind. Vilkas felt a hole form in chest before willing himself to follow the woman.

Just as he thought, the place was empty. Valleri led him through a maze of smaller tents and shacks as she proceeded towards the back of the camp. She checked each one thoroughly, halfway expecting her friends to be inside. Each time she failed to find either hide or hair of her friends, the woman began to panic more.

Vilkas followed her further, checking to make sure they were in fact alone. Each time he turned a corner or passed by an open tent, the Nord's heart would quicken as he expected someone to jump out at him. When no one did, Vilkas would breathe a sigh of relief. He wasn't keen on fighting in this dark, rainy weather.

Valleri paused when she got to the last portion of the camp. It was empty; no tents or awnings for a person to hide in meant that bodies would have been left out in the open. With a single, wide glance, Valleri's legs almost buckled underneath her. There was still no sign of Jalfi or Helgi.

Vilkas finally emerged from the behind the fence. He looked at her with a questioning expression. The Imperial woman couldn't bring her self to speak; the lump in her throat made it hard to breathe, let alone say anything. She only shook her head in response. It was all Vilkas needed to know that their search was almost over.

Valleri glanced around the fenced area once more. Finally, her eyes landed on a hidden door built into the rock face behind her. It was well hidden, tendrils of moss dangled low in front of the dark wood. She waited for Vilkas to catch up to her before looking up at him with a pleading look. "Please, it's just one last place. Then I'll be done," she whispered, tugging lightly on his sleeve. "Please."

The Nord sighed wearily. With a quiet nod, Valleri heard him mumble a response before walking towards the door. It opened with a creek, pale yellow light illuminating the outside fog. Valleri wanted to rush in, but her legs only trudged along.

It took several moments for the woman's eyes to adjust to the sudden light. Soon she could see a narrow mine shaft leading further downwards into the cave. A myriad of smells hit Valleri like a boulder and she found herself wanting to vomit. The woman held onto the cave wall for balance as she continued forward. The path was straightforward; any diverging tunnels had been blocked off or destroyed by previous cave ins, making a singular tunnel for any miners who may have worked their way down. Valleri slowed as there was suddenly steep incline down and torches became more frequent. Pausing, Valleri could see they had come across a final, cavernous chamber. Both she and Vilkas stopped on an elevated deck over looking the bottom of the cavern. In the distance was another deck with a house was built across from them.

Nearing the edge, Valleri looked down to scan the dirt floor. She looked around slowly, trying to take in the entirety of the room. Valleri gasped when she spotted the faint splash of red on a table pushed towards a corner before running full speed down the ramp next to her.

Out of breath, Valleri blindly made her way towards the table. She could hear Vilkas shout towards her as he followed. She didn't care though, not when she was this close. Her gait slowed to a tired walk as she saw the mangled body of a man laying half off the table top. Valleri covered her nose to block out the scent of decay as she went to touch the body. Grasping the shoulder, Valleri gently pulled the body towards her. The pit in her stomach deepened as the body landed with a thud. Her mind went blank as Valleri was able to get a good look at the man's face.

Staring back at her through glassy, emotionless eyes was Jalfi. Dark purple bruises colored his skin underneath smears of old blood.

Valleri jolted back, sending Jalfi's corpse fully off the table. Hot tears finally broke free and Valleri almost fell to the floor. Vilkas caught her before she could fall, hugging her from behind to keep her up. Valleri found Jalfi in the worst state she imagined, though not entirely unexpected. This only left Helgi unaccounted for and Valleri didn't want to think about what may have happened to the woman.

Vilkas' grip around Valleri tightened considerably before she heard a voice from above, "Shit! How'd you two get in here?"  
Valleri went cold and any sorrow she felt drained in a moment only to be replaced with fiery rage. She looked up, locking eyes with a scruffy Nord. His eyes widened when he saw Valleri snarl at him. The bandit cursed to himself as he stepped back in fright and Valleri could hear another voice behind him.

"Is everything all right?"

"No! Two milk drinkers wandered in. Fuck! Fuck; the boss is gonna loose his shit!"

Their conversation paused and Valleri heard the familiar, throaty cackle of an Argonian. Further enraged, Valleri elbowed Vilkas in the side as hard as she could to loosen his grip on her. Her friend groaned and hung his head low. Finally, free, Valleri ran off to find her way up to the bandits above her.

The first bandit, a shorter, darker man, could only stare in horror as he met Valleri at the ramp leading up. He was dressed down, completely taken off guard and not ready for a fight. Valleri didn't hesitate; drawing her blade, she swung down as hard as she could across the man's bare chest. He fell to the floor with a gurgling scream. The Argonian past him was visibly terrified, eyes wide and arms flailing about in the air. He was begging for mercy and Valleri didn't immediately cut him down.

"Where's the third one?" Valleri yelled. The Argonian fumbled with his words, still worried for his life. Valleri's patience wore thin, "Where's the man that killed my friends?" Her voice cracked as she screamed at the beast man and her sword hung low at her side.

The Argonian still couldn't speak. He stared back at Valleri as he knees buckled underneath him. Valleri shook her head and raised the sword above her head. She didn't think as she watched a flash of silver fly downward and all she saw was red. Staring down, Valleri allowed herself to catch her breath. The sabre dropped from her hand as Valleri tried to recollect herself. She stood there for several minutes before hearing a commotion behind her.

Vilkas shouted a curse as his great sword made contact with the third bandit. The bandit, long blonde braids swinging wildly, fell to the ground quickly after Vilkas' counter attack.

He laughed as he glanced back to Valleri. The Imperial woman felt sick when he smiled that same, sadistic smile. Vivid memories of the knife breaking through the skin on her cheek came flooding back. The bandit began to speak, his heavily accented voice made her cringe internally, "You were supposed to be dead, you bitch."

Vilkas looked between the monster on the ground and Valleri staring blankly at him. A look of concerned confusion was plastered on his face as dark, damp hair hung in his face. "Valleri, who were these people? Are they the ones you were looking for?"

Valleri nodded. She stared down at the bandit, "Where's Helgi?"  
"How the fuck is Helgi?" the bandit questioned before he made the realization, "Oh! You mean the woman from the farm! Yeah, she was a wild ride, that one!" He paused, making sure not to break his stare on Valleri. "Just like your Redguard friend. Fit like a glove if you know what I mean."

Valleri reached for the dagger Jalfi had given her months before, knelt down, and pressed the blade to his throat. "You have no right to talk about my brother," Valleri spat. The bandit only laughed again before Valleri pressed the blade deeper. Small droplets of blood swelled around the edge of the dagger. "Not after what you did to him."  
"I should have brought you back with them." The bandit glanced up at Vilkas with a sick grin, "But, brother, you of all people should know that Imperials scream too much. It's shame she didn't just die."

Vilkas didn't say anything, but Valleri could see that he was close to beating the bandit to death. Valleri breathed out, releasing much of the pressure off the man's neck. Slowly, Valleri addressed the bandit again, "Why didn't you just kill me and be done with it?"

"Just be glad you're alive," the bandit retorted. Valleri stood up and gave the bandit a swift, hard kick to the ribs.

"Answer the damn question, you worthless piece of shit," Valleri ordered, staring down at the man kneeling in front of her. Her stomach churned as he laughed with a guttural, spurting noise.  
"Women like you don't fetch a good price on the market. Elves and able-bodied men certainly get enough coin though."

Valleri backed up a step, running into Vilkas' chest. A look of horror washed over her face and Valleri could feel her chest tighten up, making it difficult to breathe again. She couldn't care anymore; just looking at the smug bastard was almost too much. The room began to spin and Valleri clung onto Vilkas' arm for support. The cavern was warm, almost sweltering, but Valleri could see her handing shaking violently.

Vilkas then addressed the bandit, Valleri picking up on the slight hesitance in his voice. "You sold them?"

"Like you wouldn't?" the bandit tilted his head, "A man runs about two hundred spetims on the market. One of those prancy elves is about a hundred more, even if it's an era old!"

Valleri walked off, Vilkas assuming she couldn't listen to the bandit any longer, allowing the Nord to come face to face with him. Crazed brown eyes bore into him and Vilkas could feel chills running up his spine. "Who was the buyer?"  
There was a long, drawn out pause before the bandit answered, "It was a group of mages. They wanted live test subjects or some shit like that."

Vilkas could hear Valleri perk up behind them. "Lexius and Alastaros are alive then? How long ago did they leave?"

"Not long, though they're probably dead now. Mages don't know how to take care of their pets," the bandit said, grin growing larger. Both men could hear Valleri muttering quietly to herself, still in stark disbelief of what the bandit said. Vilkas slapped the bandit hard across the face when he started leering at Valleri. He watched as a trickle of blood ran down from the man's nostrils. "There's no need to hit me again. It's not as though I'm going anywhere."  
"I don't care," Vilkas barked, voice almost cracking, "Where did the mages come from?"

The bandit didn't answer, only stared back at Vilkas with tired, arrogant eyes. He licked the blood off his lips with an extravagant flick of his tongue. Repulsed, Vilkas leaned back with a grimace. "Hey, since I'm gonna die anyways, why not just indulge a doomed man for a bit? I bet you're like the Redgaurd; you'd probably scream the same way."

There was no hesitation when Vilkas jumped to his feet, backing up as quickly as possible. Valleri ran past him, silver sabre in her hand again. She swung down hard on the man's neck and his head rolled away on the ground. Valleri paused finally, breathing heavily. Vilkas couldn't move as he watched her; the Imperial's back shook as he heard Valleri begin to sob.

Nerves calmed, Vilkas made his way to Valleri's side and reached out a hand. The sabre dropped from her grip as she turned back to Vilkas. He wrapped an arm around Valleri's shoulders and rubbed her back in slow, rhythmic circles.

"We'll find your friends, I promise."


	22. Chapter 22

Vilkas sighed with relief when he and Valleri finally approached the heavy wooden doors leading back into Jorrvaskr. It was late afternoon and the sun was still high in the sky. The inside of the mead hall was dark in comparison, but much warmer than the blustery, cold wind outside. Brill must have left the fire in the hearth well-tended throughout the night to ward of the chill.

He held the door open for Valleri, the woman only nodding in acknowledgement as she entered before him. Since the night they had killed the bandits in Falkreath, Valleri had been uneasily quiet. She hardly ate and he was sure she wasn't sleeping either. The purple rims under her eyes were grew more obvious with each passing day.

Vilkas could clearly recall the night he tried to talk to Valleri about what had happened. She brushed him off coldly and Vilkas figured that it was best not to ask. He learned early on that poking his nose in business that wasn't his only brought unforeseen consequences. What happened was Valleri's business and he was only made more aware how much of an outsider he actually was. Vilkas felt a sick churning in his stomach when he thought about it.

Valleri looked exhausted as she left his side and went back to the bunkrooms in the basement. He watched her back as she left and Vilkas felt a small weight lift off his shoulders when she left.

"You're back then?" Vilkas heard a familiar voice when Valleri's figure finally disappeared down the stairs.

Vilkas glanced over to the opposite side of the room as he approached the table and took a seat. The chair was uncomfortable but he was glad to be off his feet. Farkas gave him an unsure look, "Kodlak was getting antsy when you didn't show up after a while. He was hoping to have a meeting with the other Circle members at some point. You were the last one to show up."

Vilkas sighed, leaning far into the back of the chair. The sudden exhaustion flooded back into his shoulders. Maybe Valleri was right in some way; dealing with people, even people he considered family, was almost too much at the moment.

"I assume he wants to meet tonight?" Vilkas groaned.

"Yeah. I can tell Kodlak to save it for another day. You look like shit."  
Vilkas scowled. "Rude," he paused, "But I can't disagree. Also just tell him now and get this over with."

Vilkas felt a small smile form as Farkas chuckled to himself before he went to the cupboard at the far side of the room. He shuffled around a bit before procuring two flagons and a bright red bottle. "What happened out there to make you so late anyhow?"

Vilkas stared blankly ahead as he took a sip of the mead Farkas had poured for him. The alcohol tasted sour as he thought back to the incident with the bandits.

His voice was dry and unemotional as he spoke, "We had to bury two people."

…

Vilkas did not relish the idea of staying up late for another long night of irrelevant discussions about the Circle's recent behavior. He loved Kodlak dearly, but today was no day to hear more about other people's problems. He agreed the Harbinger's ideas, but that was something he could only really keep between himself.

Aela and Kodlak were already waiting in the Underforge, standing at opposite ends of the room. Judging from the woman's face, Aela was still unwilling to budge on her opinions. Vilkas took his place, leaning on the rock wall near the back. Hopefully standing a few feet from the main group would help keep him out of most of the conversation.

"Now that we're all here," Kodlak's voice boomed in the tiny cavern, "We can begin. I believe that enough time has passed since the loss of Skjor that we should begin looking for a new member of the Circle."

There was a tense pause where no one moved. Vilkas desperately tried to avoid eye contact with any of his compatriots. After a few moments, Aela spoke up. Her arms were crossed as she spoke, staring intently at Kodlak, "I don't see why we need to at all. Skjor died only a few months ago. It would be a dishonor to his name to replace him so suddenly."

Kodlak sighed, "We're not replacing our shield brother, sister. All I would like to point out is that the Circle is lacking recently."

Aela frowned, gesturing wildly with her hands, "How? How are we lacking?"

"Skjor's death, obviously. And since then, you've been increasingly gone. That only leaves Farkas, Vilkas, and I."

Vilkas chewed on the edge of his lip as he watched Aela and Kodlak continue to glare at each other from across the cavern. The woman's shoulders slumped in defeat. "Okay, fine. So, let's say I'm not here all the time and that leave you three here. Fine, who would you recommend for the Circle?" No one said anything as Aela glanced around.

"Njada's been here the longest," Farkas murmured, attempting to lighten the mood. He looked around with unsure eyes, hoping for a sign of acknowledgment from the others.

Aela shook her head, "No, she wouldn't take the blood well. Njada knows the old probably has a fond distaste for werewolves."

"How about Athis? His sword arm is just as good," Kodlak asked. His voice boomed across the rock like a shout and Vilkas cringed when the volume peaked.

Farkas glanced down at the basin in the middle of the room with confusion, "Have we ever had a Dunmer on the Circle before?'

Kodlak shrugged, "A few times. Not many Dunmer are keen on being Companions in the first place, much less accepting beast blood."

"Athis did mention wanting to become Harbinger though. Maybe he'd be willing to accept the gift."

"And what if he doesn't? What if anyone we offer the position to doesn't want it?"

Aela glanced over to Kodlak, the annoyance in her voice was sharp, "What's your point Kodlak?"

"I don't think that we should deny membership of the Circle to those who decline Hircine's gift. I no longer believe that it's fair. It's a less than honorable part of the contract." There was a dull throbbing behind Vilkas' temples when Kodlak finished. The look of regret on the old man's face when he looked over to him that only made it worse.

"Do you suggest that we do away with it entirely then?"

"Well, no." Kodlak stumbled, "But at least give newcomers a choice to decline. Lycanthropy does not always lead to anything good, sister."

"Fine. Let's not make a decision now, but that doesn't mean we can just do away with the fact they'd have to be okay with knowing that we all have the gift. If that gets out, there will be no Circle."

Farkas rose his hand before speaking, "How about Valleri then?" She already knows."

"And she knows because of who again?" Aela retorted, eyes now glued on Farkas. Vilkas could see panic flash through his eyes; they'd already known the Aela's wrath was something not to be trifled with. Her stance softened and Farkas breathed out with relief. "Though, you're right. She hasn't said anything about it."

All three of them looked back at Vilkas in the corner. He shrugged, pulling a small bit of moss off the rock wall, "I wouldn't recommend her to the position."

Kodlak looked at him in mild shock, "That wasn't the answer I had expected from you, Vilkas. I assumed you looked at her favorably."

"Don't get me wrong, I do," Vilkas paused, tilting his head in consideration, "But, she intends to leave us as soon as she possibly can."

"That's right, I'd almost forgotten about her contract."

Alea scowled, "Right, I'm surprised she hasn't mentioned it."

Vilkas sighed. "Yeah, about that…" he looked around the room, eyes falling on Kodlak last, "There's been a few unexpected developments with that."

…

Valleri brought the red shawl closer around her shoulders as she sat on an outcropping of rocks outside of Whiterun. The sun was almost gone and the night sky was already brilliant. Only slight tinges orange sunlight mingled with the dark purple. The wind buffeted towards the north, hitting hard against her back as Valleri stared towards her home. The tall mountains that separated the two provinces never seemed so daunting.

The joints in her arms and back burned with exhaustion. Moving her head to the left was painful; the knot in her neck was deep and no matter what she did, Valleri couldn't get it out. Sleeping was getting difficult because of the dull pain in her back. Valleri found bits of time here and there, but nothing substantial.

She continued to stare towards the south, longing for the warm, golden coast again.

Turning towards the road leading back to town, Valleri saw a tall figure quickly approaching. She would have stood up, but as tired as she was, Valleri didn't move when she realized the figure was Kodlak. He exchanged an exasperated glance with her when he finally stopped on the ground beneath the outcropping.

"It took me a while to find you. Why are you all the way out here?"

Valleri leaned her head back, "There's too many people, Kodlak. I just can't find it in myself to deal with them at the moment."

There was a dry laugh from below, "I feel that as well. But perhaps, some company will do you good. Walk with me."

Valleri deliberated her options for moment before slowly making her way down the rocky outcropping. Kodlak offered her a hand as she descended the last few feet before walking towards the open tundra behind them. They walked in silence for a while, Valleri staring at the sky in front of her. The tundra was wide open and Valleri could see a vast field of stars, pointing out constellations here and there to herself.

"You're not quite yourself today, are you, Valleri?" Kodlak asked.

The Imperial woman felt a small smirk form on her lips, "That's a bit of an understatement." She glanced over to Kodlak at her side, only to be met with a look of concern written all over the old warrior's face. A sick feeling descended into her stomach and she hung her head back with a groan. "Vilkas told you, didn't he? That ass!"

Kodlak's face contorted with confusion, "Tell me what?"

"Fuck."

"Valleri what happened?"

The woman stopped walking and sighed, "We found the bandits that attacked my group."

"Isn't that a good thing?"

Valleri clenched her teeth in frustration, "Well it would have been, but they murdered two more people that I considered friends."

"You were able to avenge all four of your friends?"

"Well, no," Valleri paused, desperately trying to articulate her thoughts, "We didn't find Alastaros and Lex." This time Kodlak paused. Valleri watched him trying to understand what she had said. "They claimed to have sold them off alive."

"Not all is lost then," Kodlak retorted with a smile, "What are you planning to do from here on out?"

Valleri felt the sick feeling turn black and she desperately wanted to leave Kodlak alone in the tundra. She threw her arms up in the air, "I don't know! I don't fucking know." Valleri paused, rubbing a hand on the back of her neck, "I don't want to decide anything. I just want to stop thinking about it, just be done with the whole thing."

Kodlak regarded her with a small smile now, eyebrows downturned, "Perhaps you're correct. Valleri, is it possible to put a name to what you're feeling?"

Valleri looked at the ground as she pondered Kodlak's question. Almost nothing came to mind in the muddled thoughts. Finally, she answered, slow and unsure, "I can't even think to tell you Kodlak; suffice to say that I feel like I'm out in the opening but I'm suffocating. Everyone's just waiting to watch me implode at any time; I can't stand it."

"You're keeping a lot in at the moment. Talking to someone or not is up to you, but might I offer you a suggestion?" Kodlak asked.

"Well, that's your job, isn't it?"

"Just let it out. Everything you're holding onto, channel it and scream at the mountains around us. They will listen and not judge you too harshly; I certainly won't."

"Wait," Valleri paused, "You're telling me to just scream?"

"As loud as you can."

Valleri shook her head, "Fine." She walked a few paces ahead of Kodlak, taking one last wide glance at the scenery in front of her. Taking a deep breath, Valleri reared back and scrunched her eyes. Without warning, the Imperial woman let out a shrill, whooping yell. Her throat soon became raw as the volume increased. Her lungs emptied themselves of air and Valleri could feel her muscles tense up in protest.

When her voice suddenly gave out nearly a minute later, Valleri opened her eyes. She was left breathing unevenly and her face felt hot against the breeze. Arms dropping at her side, Valleri stared out over the open tundra in front of her. Everything seemed to be in its proper place, unchanged from before. But for only a moment, everything seemed lighter. The Imperial turned back to Kodlak behind her.

He was smiling genuinely this time, not moving his gaze from Valleri, "Do you feel differently now?"

Valleri furrowed her eyebrows, "I think. My body is still exhausted and I'm still grieving for Jalfi and Helgi. But I feel a bit better about my family."

Kodlak bellowed out a laugh, "I am glad to hear it. Come, let's go back to town before we start to freeze." Valleri nodded and followed Kodlak back the way they came.

…

The light in the main part of the hall was still lit when Valleri returned. It was dim, but lit none the less. Vilkas was sitting at the table, sharpening a small knife with a blank expression. He glanced up when she closed the door behind her. He looked her up and down before going back to sharpening his knife. "You're doing better, I take it?" he said without looking up.

Valleri unclasped her shawl, "I think. It's hard to tell; I'm just tired."

"That's usually how it goes," Vilkas paused, "It's like having a cold sometimes. At this point just getting a good night's sleep can do a lot of good.'

"Right," Valleri trailed off.

She sat down next to Vilkas, watching him test the knife's edge with a finger. Satisfied with his work, the Nord set the whetstone down on a small cloth on the table and gestured towards Valleri with the knife, "Would you consider the weregild paid now?"

Valleri looked off into the distance, "To be honest, a debt was paid, but it wasn't for Alastaros or Lexius. Not when there's a chance of them being alive."

Vilkas exchanged another glance with Valleri, "You'll be staying in Whiterun, then?"

Valleri smiled, attempting to rub the sleep out of her eyes. "It seems that way. I can't just abandon them now."

"And back home to Anvi when all of this over with?"

The Imperial laughed, "You'd love that wouldn't you?" She paused, noting the disappointed expression on Vilkas' face. "But, no, it's too early to think about going back to Anvil."

Vilkas smiled slightly as he got up from his chair, "And your debt to the Companions?"

"Kodlak claimed it was void," Valleri muttered, "Though, I might still try to be useful around here until I find my family. I was accepted as an official member; may as well put it to use."

"Hey, Valleri?"

"Yeah?"

Vilkas turned back to Valleri at the table, "Get some sleep before you decide anything, alright?"

The Imperial woman could only smile as she laid her head on the table and closed her eyes, "All righty then." Vilkas only shook his head when he heard Valleri start to snore. Carefully, he wrapped one Valleri's arms around his neck and carried her down to the bunkrooms. He was glad that Valleri had fallen asleep and couldn't see the exasperated grin on his face.


	23. Chapter 23

Vilkas watched as Farkas tossed away his sword before hefting a large, ivory tusk on his shoulders. Exasperatedly, Vilkas groaned as he collected the sword, holding it low by his side. Farkas huffed once more before starting the trek back to town. His brother glanced at him from the side curiously.

"Why did we stop for exactly?" Vilkas asked. Farkas could hear a tinge of annoyance in his voice.

Farkas laughed a bit before answering, "Ysolda needed a mammoth tusk. Something about the Khajiit caravanners." Vilkas only continued to stare at him with a the characteristically questioning expression ever present on his face. "Ysolda mentioned it and I figured it'd be a nice surprise. Don't fault me!"

"I'm not. Is there some sort of occasion happening I'm not aware of?"

"Just a gift."

Vilkas rolled his eyes as he continued to walk, heading towards where he assumed the road continued, "If you say so." He heard Farkas laugh to himself. "I was hoping to make it back sooner though."

"It seems to me that you're looking forward to all that paper work Skjor left behind," Farkas jeered. Vilkas looked back with vexation, only to be met with his brother's large grin. The feeling of irritation melted into exasperated fondness. Vilkas was used to Farkas' bad jests by now; he meant no harm. "If you're not careful, your sword arms gonna get flabby," Farkas added.

Vilkas turned and pointed the spare sword towards Farkas, "You wish."

Farkas huffed as he readjusted the mammoth tusk. "I haven't been on a job with for a while and I bet you let Valleri do most of the heavy lifting."

Vilkas tilted his head, finally noting the silhouette of Whiterun in the distance. "I can't really argue that." He watched his breath turn to ice for a moment as he waited for Farkas. The sun was still up but the nights were long; sundown would start in only a few hours.

"She should be on her way back by now, right?'

"Who? Valleri?"

"Yeah. Who else would I be talking about?"

"Could have been Ria or Aela for all I know," Vilkas retorted. His grip on Farkas' sword tightened, "I still think Kodlak was wrong to send her out by herself for so long. Valleri's likely to do something stupid without someone with her."

"Like me, huh?" Farkas continued to smile as he walked.

"No, not at all. Valleri's smart but doesn't think things through. I can't imagine what she'd get up to when no she's alone."

Farkas glanced at Vilkas from the side. Turning his head was too difficult with the large tusk on his shoulders. "You really wouldn't know either. Not unless you ask." Farkas could hear his brother mutter under his breath.

It took another hour for the two of them to reach the city gates. Several of the guards rolled their eyes at Farkas, but didn't say anything. To them, the tusk was probably just another trophy to be set up in Jorrvaskr. Instead, Farkas focused on the disrepair of the outer wall and the crunch of the snow underneath his feet.

The taller twin turned back to his brother once they passed the front gates, dropping the tusk down to the ground, "I'm gonna leave you here, if that's okay."

Vilkas shrugged, "I see no reason why not. Besides, there's no place left in your bunk room for that," Vilkas gestured to Farkas' mammoth tusk, "thing."

Farkas shook his head and laughed as Vilkas gave him a playful hit on the shoulder. "I'll see you later," Farkas mumbled before making his way to the center of town. His pace quickened when he spotted the familiar ginger trader bartering with a fruit vendor.

Boy, was Ysolda going to be excited to see him.

…

Valleri couldn't feel her fingers as she made her way through the darkness around her. The snowfall had lessened over the past hour, but small flakes of snow continued to fall through the darkness. Valleri's lamp had been snuffed out before when she accidentally tripped in a snow drift.

Valleri was cold, tired, and probably lost.

Why Kodlak sent her so far north by herself was beyond her. The trip up to Winterhold was easy enough. The small town was unassuming, but the Mages College made her smile and Valleri found herself recalling fond memories of the Arcane University. The Synod were a bunch of pompous asses, those at the university included; but the libraries were amazing. Valleri couldn't imagine what the College could be like on the inside. The elvish woman guarding the gate wasn't keen on talking to her though.

After Valleri's job was done, clouds were already gathering on the horizon. The innkeeper warned her not to go. But did Valleri listen?

No. No she didn't.

Instead, Valleri was sure she could at least make it too Windhelm before the weather got too bad. She agreed with Athis' opinion on the state of the city, but it was a guaranteed bed and meal if she made it.

It wasn't long after Valleri departed from Winterhold in the morning that the snow began to fall. At first it was calming, magical even; though it was only a few hours before the actual blizzard started. Valleri quickly found that she lost the road and was stuck wandering south into the wilderness. Valleri tried not to panic, but as nightfall began to descend, she found her self clutching the hilt of her sabre tighter.

Valleri's pulse slowed as she saw a bright light off in the distance past the tree line. Relief washed over her as all but ran towards the light and the person carrying it. The person slowed as Valleri ran out ahead of them, awkward smile plastered to her face.

The stranger with the lamp reeled back and Valleri could only imagine the look of shock on their face underneath the heavy hood of their cloak. Valleri gestured wildly as she spoke, "Wait, wait, wait! I don't mean any harm!"

The stranger had a fireball ready suddenly and Valleri wilted. "Don't think I wouldn't fire this if you pull that sword on me!" they yelled.

Valleri gulped, pulling the hood of her shawl down to reveal her face. "Please, I swear I just got lost! That's it!"

She could here them sigh before the ball of fire in their hand disappeared. They rubbed their temples in frustration, "You'd better be right." They pushed past Valleri and held the lantern aloft. Turning back to Valleri, they beckoned for her to follow them, "Come on, I'm staying at an inn nearby. I'll pay for a meal too. You probably need it."

Valleri felt her lips curl up into a smile as she followed the hooded figure through the snow. The inn was at the bottom of hill. Valleri almost slipped as she made her way down and the stranger with the lantern looked back when she cried out in momentary panic. They shook their head before leading her the final few feet to the door.

The inside of the building was almost heaven when Valleri walked in through the door. The smell of wood smoke and the heat from the hearth in the middle of the room was comforting after Valleri had walked around the woods for hours. The man at the bar didn't look very hospitable, but she couldn't judge. Being able to spend the rest of the night indoors was a miracle.

Valleri unclasped her shawl as the stranger that found her talked to the innkeeper. The grumpy looking Nord looked exasperated as the stranger gestured towards her. Finally, he threw his hands up in the air in defeat as the stranger turned back to Valleri. She walked to meet him halfway by the fire when he pulled his hood down and Valleri couldn't help but freeze.

In front of her was an Altmer with burn scars all over his face in intricate, swirling patterns. His dark brown hair was pulled into a tight bun with out any stray hairs despite the blustering wind outside. Golden, hawk like eyes met her own and Valleri couldn't help but feel vulnerable.

"You were the women who pointed me to Markarth a few months ago weren't you?" His voice was slick, making Valleri pause for a moment.

"The one and the same," Valleri cringed.

"I should thank you for that. Come have a drink with me!" the Altmer gestured towards on the tables after snatching a bottle from the bar. He sat down with flourish, looking at Valleri expectantly. With a sinking feeling, Valleri followed.

"I've been looking for you for some time now. What happened to your friend?"

Valleri furrowed her eyebrows, "My friend?"

"Yes. The imposing Nordic bear lurking behind you last time we met."

Valleri glanced at the ground in realization. "Right. He had some other business."

The Altmer shrugged. Pouring himself a glass of wine, he began to speak again, "Our mutual friend Aicantar was kind enough to give me your name. Correct me if I'm wrong, but you are Valleri Alastarim I assume?"

Valleri felt her blood turn cold. The Altmer glanced up at her with calculating eyes, the purple rims now obvious against golden, flaky skin. "And who the fuck are you?"

"There's no need to become aggressive. My name is Cyrenial."

Valleri glared at him, "Make it quick, what do you want?"

"I'm merely searching for Alastaros. He went missing several months ago and my organization has asked me to keep tabs on him. I was hoping that since you were his daughter in all but title, Valleri, you would know where he is." He crossed his arms and stared at her for an answer.

"What organization are you referring to?" Valleri asked, furrowing her eyebrows in curiosity.

Cyrenial sighed and glanced back to the fire before taking a sip of his wine. "I'm with the Synod."

Valleri grinned momentarily, "I call a bluff!" Valleri almost laughed at the quizzical look on the Altmer's face before leaning back in her chair. "The Synod didn't care much for Alastaros, so I know for a fact they wouldn't send a single person out looking for him, even as punishment."

Cyrenial raised a hand up with a defeated grin, "Fine, you've got me!"

"Thalmor then?"

The Altmer grinned, "Well, there's not much else going on in Alinor if you stay."

"Breath of Dibella, you people like getting your noses into everything. Why are you looking for Alastaros?"

Cyrenial gestured outwardly with a hand, "The higher ups like to keep tabs on everyone, expatriates especially. We believe he is looking into something that formally belongs to the Dominion. If he can tell us any information regarding his research, we may be able to offer him a deal to come back to Alinor."

"I thought he was a citizen of the Empire," Valleri retorted.

"He was born and raised in Alinor. Alastaros may be interested in the new opportunities in his homeland."

Valleri clicked her tongue with distaste. "Yeah, I'm going to have to call you out on that too. I know Alastaros pretty well, and he's not the biggest fan of the Aldmeri Dominion."

"Regardless, Valleri, why are you here in Skyrim?"

The Imperial paused for a moment. The question was not entirely unexpected, but it still caught the woman off guard. Finally, she worked herself up to answer, "Alastaros and I had an argument before he left Anvil a while back. I came up here to clear my head." Valleri felt her pulse begin to quicken.

"May I ask why Aicantar told me that you told him Alastaros died? And that you were working with the Companions?"

"I'm just assuming he's died. Listen, we didn't part on very good terms," Valleri lied. She could feel the panic cement itself into her stomach; her mouth was dry and her movements were quickly becoming erratic.

"And the Companions?"

"Just a way to keep myself occupied for a while." Valleri glared at Cyrenial from across the table. "Look, I've had a long day. I appreciate you paying for my room and all, but can I please leave and get some sleep?" Valleri got up regardless of Cyrenial's unimpressed reaction. She waited for him to say something as she continued to grasp the back of her chair.

"One final question, perhaps?" Cyrenial asked. Valleri groaned internally as he smiled. "Do you know anything about his research on a special pendant from the ruins of Sedor. It was an old relic supposedly moved to Skyrim for safe keeping."

Valleri snarled at the elf in front of her, "I have no idea what you're talking about. Listen well, Altmer, I'm only going to say this once. If Alastaros didn't bother telling you or your organization anything, then it's obviously not your business. I'd recommend that you just leave my family alone or I'll be sending your body back to the Isles in pieces."

Valleri turned on her heel and fled back to the bunkrooms on the other side of the inn. She didn't have to look back to know that he was still smiling.  
"Sweet dreams, Valleri."

…

Vilkas watched from across the table as Ysolda began to laugh at one of Farkas' bad jokes. What the trader had found so appealing in his brother was beyond him. But Vilkas could see they were happy and he couldn't be mad at that. He glanced out the window for moment, noting the lack of any light outside. Candle light now lit the small room.

"You okay there, Vilkas?" the red headed woman asked as she moved her attention away from Farkas.

Vilkas glanced over with confusion, "Yeah, I'm fine. Why'd you ask?"

Ysolda breathed out, looking back over Farkas, who only shrugged. "I don't know. You looked a bit melancholy for a moment."

"That's just his face, 'Soldy," Farkas quipped before pouring himself another mug of mead.

The woman furrowed her eyebrows, "Well it must be yours then too."

"How'd you figure?"

She laughed a bit before answering, "You two technically have the same face, right?"

Both brothers blanched in mock horror before Farkas gestured wildly. "I'm lucky enough not to. I don't have that same scar over my eye from a bar fight."

Vilkas sighed, "That's not fair. It wasn't a bar fight; I was technically on a job."

"In a bar?" Ysolda quipped, unimpressed.

"Yeah," Vilkas paused, "But it wasn't just me. Farkas was there too. He broke a chair over some poor milk drinker's head."

Ysolda rubbed her face in amusement. Shaking her head, she rubbed Farkas' cheek with a smile, "You never cease to entertain me, do you? How long ago did this happen?"

Vilkas smirked as he watched panic flash momentarily on Farkas' face. "It was, uh, about three years ago. We were in Morthal when it happened."

"You two probably aren't too welcome there then."

Farkas nodded his head, "Not at all. I try to avoid going up that way at all."

"How about Solitude?" Ysolda asked.

"Nope, haven't been there since I was boy," Farkas said, finishing his off his mug, "Vilkas has been there more recently though."

Ysolda hummed in response, stacking the plates left over from dinner earlier in the evening. "I grew up near Solitude."

"What was that like?"

"Well, it's a lot closer to the sea, that's for sure. But there's not a lot left at home now. Since my parents passed a few years ago, a few of my brothers took over the farm," Ysolda paused, "I didn't really want to stay anyhow."

Ysolda took the plates back into the small kitchen behind them. Vilkas found himself starting out the window again, hoping to see something in darkness. Disappointed when all he could see was a reflection of himself, the Nord looked back down at the table.

It wasn't long before Ysolda came back out of the kitchen. There was a wide grin on her face as she spoke, "I almost forgot! I've got some good news from Hulda earlier."

Vilkas watched Farkas perk up with excitement. "Well, what is it?"

"She told me she was going to let me take over the Bannered Mare after she retires next year."

There was a moment of silence when Ysolda looked at Vilkas and Farkas for some sort of answer. In a moment, Farkas leapt from his seat and hugged her around the shoulders. Pulling back from his hug, Farkas all but shouted, "That's great! Absolutely wonderful!"

Vilkas got up from his chair and started for the door, "Well congrats, but you two look like you're having fun. Good night."

Ysolda shouted a quick goodnight as he left and closed the door tight behind him. It wasn't as dark outside as he thought and Vilkas looked up to the sky. Only small Secunda was out, offering what little light it could. Vilkas tired to hurry back to the warmth of Jorrvaskr. A cold wind blew in from the north as ugly clouds made their way towards the open tundra.

Vilkas paused and looked north before opening the door. There was a storm brewing near Windhelm and he could only hope that a certain, warm blooded Imperial wouldn't freeze to death on the road.


	24. Chapter 24

Valleri made it back to Whiterun in what she could only assume was record time. She didn't want there to be any chance of Cyrenial following her. This wasn't her first run in with the Thalmor; they kept close tabs on Alastaros' work, but she didn't think they'd follow her all the way to Skyrim. Valleri's encounter with the Cyrenial, ugly scars or not, didn't bode well. The past two days had been anxiety filled. Even within the last hour, Valleri felt spooked.

The Imperial didn't slow down until she made it back to Jorrvaskr. Absolutely sure that she was safe in the mead hall, Valleri slumped against the inside of the door. Her shawl was scrunched up uncomfortably between her back and wall, but Valleri didn't move. Instead, she buried her head in her hands and focused on breathing evenly again.

"Val, you okay?"

The Imperial looked up from the ground to meet a familiar, charcoal smeared face. Valleri managed a shaky smile, "Yeah, I think so." Valleri paused. Uneasiness slithered its way down her back, finally settling into the soles of her feet. "Actually, I'm not sure."

Vilkas cocked an eyebrow, setting down a package he was holding, "Did something happen?"

Valleri pursed her lips before breathing out. "I met that Altmer again. The one we saw after Markarth."

"Not really; what happened?" When Valleri didn't answer, Vilkas sighed and sat down on the floor next to her. "It's uncomfortable down here," he murmured, stretching to find a good place to lay his arm.

Valleri scoffed, "You didn't have to, you know." She leaned her head back against the wooden door and sighed, nerves finally calming. In a moment Valleri continued, "I got lost in the woods and the blasted elf ended up taking me back to an inn."

"Valleri, that's usually a good thing."

"No, it wasn't. He recognized me, and not just as a stranger on the road. He knew my name, Vilkas."

Vilkas' previously calm expression melted into distaste, "Shit. Aicantar probably told him."

"Yeah, right? You know what the worst part is?"

"What?"

"The damn elf is trying to track Alastaros down for his research on Sedor. Do you remember that necklace I told you about?"

Vilkas shook his head, "Only vaguely. What's so important about it?"

Valleri bit her lip in frustration, "That's the thing; I don't have a clue. Alastaros and I were only able to determine that it opened some sort of vault in Sedor. The Ayleids got paranoid though and sent it up here to Skyrim for safe keeping. The last sort of mention we found was an Ayleid Falmer document; some sort of contract."

"Wait, let me get this straight," Vilkas paused, "You're saying that those Ayleids sent some sort of magical key to the Falmer for safe keeping."

"Yep."

Vilkas scowled for a moment, "You realize that the Falmer were pretty much conquered by the dwemer, right?"

"Yep."

"And now more elves are aiming to get it."

"Not just any elves," Valleri added, "Cyrenial mentioned he was a member of the Thalmor. He was shifty about it though, trying to tell me he was with the Synod."

Vilkas' scowl deepened as he glanced over to Valleri. "Bones, Val. Is Alastaros a wanted man or something?"

The Imperial laughed dryly, "No, not like that. The Thalmor keeps a close watch on a lot of Altmer in the Empire. Alastaros has always been watched; I'd be surprised if even the Empire wasn't looking out for him."

"If they knew before, why all the secrecy on Alastaros' part all of a sudden?"

"Alastaros never knew honestly knew what was in Sedor. Cyrenial probably has a better idea, but he's still in the dark too. The fact that he has to ask Alastaros where the necklace is and what it does means that he doesn't know how to get in," Valleri trailed off, beginning to pick at a scab on her arm.

"Hey, Val?"

"Yeah?"

"Have you ever met this Cyrenial character before? Maybe in Anvil?"

"No; if I did, I'd have recognized him the first time. Burn scars like that are hard to forget," Valleri muttered. Goosebumps rose on her skin as she spoke the Altmer's name, the memory of his face looming over her.

The smirk returned to Vilkas' face as he tilted his head to the side, "You've got a reputation then."

The smile on Valleri's face widened and she unclasped her shawl. Red fabric fell away from her shoulders, allowing Valleri to stretch her arms again. Vilkas watched her with curiosity; freckles dotted her skin down to her hands creating warm colored constellations in her skin.

"It was bound to happen at some point, I guess. I am a linguistic genius," Valleri said with a flair of pride, soon laughing at her own joke. Her expression turned serious again, "He recognized you too though; asked where you were."

Vilkas felt his good mood begin to disappear, "Well, fuck."

"I am so sorry I got you so far involved. I honestly didn't mean to," Valleri explained.

Vilkas chuckled to himself, "That's the last thing I'm worried about. The Thalmor have nothing on me and probably never will."

"I remember Lexius saying something similar a few years ago."

The Nord huffed as he got up from the floor and reached for the package he was carrying before. "Look, don't worry about it too much. You've got bigger priorities than looking over your shoulder for a scrawny elf. Now," Vilkas gestured towards the door leading outside, "can you move? I've got a delivery to make."

Valleri shook her head with fond exasperation before getting up. "Of course, you do."

…

Vilkas could feel something clawing against his ribs as he waited for Ulfberth to take a better look at the ore Eorlund had sent over. The man inspected each piece with an expert eye, taking about a minute to look at one piece. Vilkas shifted uncomfortably from side to side as the gambeson he wore became constricting. Confused, especially since he'd worn the garment nearly every day, Vilkas hoped silently that Ulfberth would hurry up.

With a smile, the merchant placed the ore sample he was holding onto the counter and began to speak. Vilkas didn't pay attention. The room was sweltering and Vilkas could feel small beads of perspiration drip down his back. The clawing sensation against his rib cage was only getting worse.

Vilkas couldn't stand it anymore.

"Sorry, but I have to leave," Vilkas mumbled, much quieter than he meant to.

Ulfberth regarded him quizzically. "Yeah, that's fine. Hey, you don't look so good," the man trailed off as Vilkas went for the door. Behind him, Vilkas could her the merchant shout, "Give my regards to Eorlund!"

Vilkas nodded back slightly before shutting the door behind him. The breeze outside offered some sort of respite, but Vilkas still felt like he was being strangled. He stayed still for a moment, the noise around him beginning to pound in his head. Disoriented, he tried not look like he was rushing back to Jorrvaskr as quickly as he could muster.

…

Valleri watched as people filtered into the mead hall for the evening meal. Most nights, everyone would go their separate ways to find food where they could, but Tilma made a point of gathering most of the warriors and having a friendly meal all at once. The old woman took her cooking very seriously and as long as she still served the Companions, she would make sure they knew it.

Valleri sat at her usual spot near the end of the table, next to some of the younger, newer members. It was hard to hear what the others were saying from her spot, but she could watch anyone sitting at the table without having to crane her neck at an uncomfortable angle.

Ria continued to chatter next to Valleri as the older woman searched the table for any sort of familiar, fresh vegetable.

"I don't get it! I mean, just because I go into caves doesn't mean I'm not claustrophobic," Ria complained, gesturing wildly with her hands.

Valleri hummed in acknowledgement, not paying much attention to her friend. Resting her chin on a hand, Valleri muttered, "Who I wouldn't kill for a good few cucumbers or a watermelon."

Ria stared at her in confusion, "What are you on about now?"

Valleri looked back her with equal confusion, "Wait, what?"

"Oh, never mind. You weren't even paying attention, were you? Going on and on about vegetables."

Valleri laughed, "Not at all." She looked over to Ria's nearly full plate and noticed the tomatoes she failed to eat. Valleri gestured towards the plate, "Are you going to finish those?"

"Take 'em. I've lost my appetite anyways," Ria grumbled.

Triumphantly, Valleri switched the plates and popped one of the small, red vegetables in her mouth. She glanced over towards the middle of the table, where most of the Circle members were sitting; Kodlak was in the middle flanked on either side by Farkas and Vilkas. She could catch pieces of their conversation here and there, but nothing completely relevant. Farkas had been gesturing enthusiastically with his hands while Kodlak was laughing about the warmer weather.

Her eyes landed on Vilkas; something seemed off about him. Usually, he came in for the evening meal after sparring with the senior members, thus wearing a lighter, leather cuirass to the dinner table. Today was different. He pulled at the loose collar of his tunic, obviously bothered by the fabric. Vilkas didn't seem so well either. His face was paler than normal and Valleri was sure she could see a light sheen of sweat on his forehead.

He barely spoke as he picked at his food; something he usually didn't do either. Torvar hit him playfully on the shoulder but Vilkas obviously wasn't having any of it. He snapped at the man; his face contorting into a angry frown. The look of fright on the younger man's face was almost worth it.

With a clatter of his chair, Vilkas excused himself from the table. Kodlak looked down at his food with a pained look before Vilkas went out the back door. Valleri looked down at her plate as well, thinking for a moment. Something really wasn't right.

Without a word, she rose and followed him, pushing past Ria to get to the back door. It wasn't long before Valleri found the Nord around the side of the building, head buried in his hands. He didn't move as she approached him slowly; though Valleri was certain he was already aware of her presence.

"Hey, are you okay?" Valleri asked. Vilkas continued to stay still, but she could hear him breathing heavily. Tentatively, Valleri placed her hand on his shoulder, still thinking about how he lashed out at Torvar. "Vilkas?"

"Just go away," he mumbled as he finally raised his head to look at her. Valleri stepped back when she saw his face; from up close, Vilkas looked worse than she initially thought.

"Gods, you look like shit," Valleri paused, moving her hand to his forehead. His skin was hot to the touch.

Vilkas protested, swatting her hand away from his face, "I'm fine."

Valleri scowled, "Vilkas, you're running a fever. You're not fine." She looked over Vilkas one more time, placing her hand back on his forehead, "You were fine this morning, but not now."

"I still am."

"Shut up," Valleri countered. "This could be serious. People just don't go from perfectly healthy to a fever in a matter of hours. Not unless it's something bad."

Vilkas stood up suddenly and looked down on her. His face was twisted into a snarl and Valleri instinctively stepped backwards. "Just drop it okay? I'm fine!" he yelled and pushed past her before ambling away. Valleri only shook her head and glowered at the ground. If she didn't know better, Valleri would have thought she was worried about him.

…

Some hours later, Valleri sat at the table in the main room of Jorrvaskr, flipping through the pages of an old book she pilfered from Kodlak's study. The pages were worn while the corners were folded down and every few pages there would be a mysterious smudge. The words were familiar to her; Valleri had a clear memory of finding the same book in Alastaros' study.

The footsteps approaching her were obvious and she didn't look up from her book. Farkas sat down in the chair next to her with a thud. Looking at the spine, Farkas began to mutter to himself, "On Oblivion, huh?" He paused for a moment, leaning back in his chair. "Isn't that book outdated?"

"Probably is, but for now it's just something to read for the time being. I'm not all that interested in the dealings of daedra. Stuff like that gets out of hand quickly and I'm not in the mood for making deals with my soul at the moment."

Farkas laughed and went about his business at the table. Distracted, Valleri set the book down gently and glanced up the Nord. "Can I ask you a question?"

"Yeah, sure."

Valleri paused a moment, "Do werewolves ever get sick? Like with the common cold for example?"

The Imperial could see Farkas thinking for a moment before he answered, "No, I don't think so. I haven't gotten sick since I became one and I've never seen Skjor or Kodlak sick."

Valleri rubbed the side of her face in contemplation. "What about Vilkas? He wasn't looking good earlier."

"That could mean anything Valleri," Farkas said.

The woman balked at him with disbelief, "He was running a fever. Normally I wouldn't ask, but he was okay when I talked to him this morning."

"Wait a moment, we're talking about Vilkas, right?"

Valleri breathed out sharply, frustration obvious, "Have you been listening to me at all?"

"Yeah, I have. I think I know what you're talking about," Farkas paused, expression no longer as mystified as before. "He gets like this when he hasn't changed over often enough."

Valleri furrowed her eyebrows, "Like withdrawals?"

Farkas nodded his head in agreement, "It's probably just best to let it run its course. I haven't heard of anything some can do to make something like that better. I asked Kodlak once a few years ago but he didn't know either."

"Really? Absolutely nothing?" Valleri shook her head in disbelief before Valleri could remember a conversation she had with Kodlak before. Farkas only shrugged. "Is Vilkas still here? Do you know?"

Valleri was already out of her seat before Farkas told her that Vilkas could have been anywhere. A strange panic began to set in as Valleri rushed down the stairs and towards his bunk room. Deep down, the woman hoped that he was just down with a cold or even the flu. Instead, her heart sank when she found the room deserted. Making a stop for her sword and pack, Valleri went back upstairs.

Farkas was still sitting where Valleri had left him. He glanced over to her with concern, "Val where are you going?"

Valleri was already securing the pin on her shawl as she looked up. Taking a spare lantern from a table near the door, she turned around, "I'm going after him. What else would I be doing."

Farkas clattered out of his chair, reaching out for the Imperial. "Val, wait! Don't be an idiot. You don't know what he's capable of," Farkas trailed off. Valleri was already out the door, leaving the Nord with a defeated feeling. Sitting back in his chair, Farkas sighed. Valleri had no idea what she was getting herself into.


	25. Chapter 25

Valleri breathed heavily as she stopped running in the darkness. This time, she was careful not to slip on the ice and snow still on the ground, but it was slowing her down. Valleri had only seen one werewolf in her life and Farkas had been fast. Even if Vilkas hadn't transformed, Valleri couldn't take a chance and loose him due to complacency.

While Vilkas hadn't mentioned anything forthright, from what Valleri understood, he didn't want anything to do with his lycanthropy any longer. If something were to happen…

Valleri tried not to think about. Now wasn't the time to dwell on the worst.

Only a few hours had passed since she ran from Jorrvaskr and took the road south towards Falkreath. Vilkas could have been anywhere, leaving Valleri to follow her gut. The forest surrounding the road she'd taken was thicker here, providing plenty of places for Vilkas to keep out of sight. So far, though, Valleri hadn't been able to make out his tracks in the snow. Too many people must have passed by recently and making out a single person was hard enough. The Imperial was thankful though. The lack of claw marks meant he hadn't changed over quite yet.

Pausing, Valleri could see a few lights still left on in Riverwood. Someone was bound to be awake; they could have seen Vilkas passing through. With her determination rekindled, Valleri rushed towards the village.

Valleri wasn't sure what to expect when she made it to the village, but what she found wasn't surprising. The inn keeper was outside in the middle of the road, inspecting a dead chicken. The woman glanced up when she saw Valleri approach.

"What, what happened here?" Valleri stammered out, still out of breath.

The inn keeper regarded her suspiciously as she stood up and brushed the snow off her apron. The woman spoke with serious tone, "Nobody's sure, but something started attacking the livestock. The blacksmith was able to scare it away not even half an hour ago."

Valleri looked around as the inn keeper gestured to the carnage around them. Almost a whole flock of the chickens had been left half devoured in the road. Blood, feathers, and fur stained the snow and Valleri could see claw marks.

"Do you know what it was?"

The inn keeper shook her head, 'Not at all. We didn't even realize it was here until the chickens started making a racket. All I know is that it was large and hairy." Valleri's heart sank as the inn keeper furrowed her eye brows. "Why are you here though?"

Valleri was taken off guard and began to panic when she looked back to the inn keeper. "I'm, uh," Valleri paused for a moment, looking back to the chickens, "I'm looking for a friend."

"Oh?"

Recomposed, Valleri glanced up towards the road, "Yeah. He got ran off a few hours ago and I've been looking for him since."

"What'd he look like? He probably passed through," The inn keeper offered, crossing her arms.

Valleri laughed for a moment, unnerved smile forming on her face. "No, it's fine. I don't want to bother you further, you've already got your hands full," Valleri continued as she pointed to the blood bath on the ground in between them. She nodded her head towards the inn keeper before leaving.

"Just be careful; that thing could still be out there!" Valleri heard the inn keeper shout from behind. The concern was kind, but Valleri hope desperately she'd find whoever killed the chickens in Riverwood.

…

Valleri lost track of time but the sun was already gone, signaling that at least one day had passed since Vilkas had gone missing. By now, the people she left in Jorrvaskr were probably aware that both she and Vilkas were missing. They could be in a panic for all she knew.

She was already way past Riverwood and walking down the road next to Lake Illinalta. It was hard to keep track of Vilkas' claw marks. The sun earlier in the day melted the ice into pools of slush and most evidence Valleri relied on was gone. She cursed herself; she wasn't a tracker and now that night was falling again, Valleri was going to have an even harder time. Getting lost in the woods was no longer her biggest fear.

Glancing to side, Valleri paused to catch her breath. Her eyes landed on a small clearing in the woods. Strange lights emanated and enticed her closer. Hesitant, Valleri held the grip on her sword tighter as she readied her lantern to move forward.

Instinctively, Valleri gasped as she approached. A small altar laid covered in blood n the middle of the clearing. There was corpse on the altar surrounded by books, but the blood didn't come from there. No, that one was far too old and far too dry. Valleri moved a few feet to the side. her stomach churned as she saw the dead person sitting propped against a weathered stone pillar. Valleri tried not to stare at it for long; from what she could tell, their face was mauled and their intestines fell out of cavernous gash in their stomach.

Valleri stared forward as the ground under her spun. The claw marks dug deep into the dirt here, now leading a trail of blood up the hill behind the alter. Unintentionally, Vilkas had left Valleri an obvious trail she could follow. The blood looked fresh but Valleri couldn't say for certain. The freshly melted slush could have mixed and kept it from drying quickly. Valleri was no tracker. Still, the Imperial felt a weight lift from her shoulder as she realized she wouldn't have to just guess where he was going any longer.

The path eventually ended by a cabin situated on the side of another major road. Mud crabs went after her feet as she rounded the corner of the cabin and disappointment welled in her chest when she found the scene left for her. Like the other places Valleri stopped at, Vilkas had definitely been snacking on unfortunate victims.

Only this time, it was more than just a snack.

Valleri felt her stomach churn again as she saw the bodies littering the ground around the cabin. Vilkas had done a number on them; most of the bodies wore shredded pieces of armor while weaponry lay scattered and damaged nearby. Valleri heard a crack underfoot when she moved forward. Looking down, she could see the lower part of a person's jaw where she tried to place her foot. Bits of teeth and muscles was still attached to the bone, making Valleri want to vomit. The last moments of whoever the jaw belonged to sprung into Valleri's mind and she turned away quickly.

Valleri didn't wish to stay and found where Vilkas' tracks continued as fast as she could after relighting her lantern. She followed them south across the road, leaving the scene of carnage far behind. Vilkas' tracks began to appear more and more human as she continued into the thicker brush. Valleri no longer needed to follow the tracks. She was close and she could feel it.

The Imperial woman eventually walked into another, larger clearing. The last glimmer of light from the sun filtered through the trees around her and torch bugs lit up the area like mage light. Her eyes landed on the small pool in front of her as a stream trickled down from the mountains above.

Her skin went cold as she saw the naked form of Vilkas laying face down in the water. He wasn't moving and Valleri could see the long gashes and ugly bruises all over his skin through the thick mat of fur down his back and arms. He must have tripped before passing out; the edge of the pool was nearly destroyed and clods of dirt and grass stuck to the soles of his feet. At least he was mostly human now.

Valleri skirted around the side of the pool to face him unclasping her shawl and throwing her pack to the ground. She splashed into the pool in hurried fashion, placing hand on his shoulder to inspect some of his wounds. Cold water seeped through her trousers and into her boots, but she didn't care to move him. Instead, Valleri couldn't help but grimace as she took a look at what she assumed was his blood on her hands.

It didn't matter who's blood it was, though. Vilkas was going to be scarred either way.

Valleri turned to look through her pack for first aid supplies when she heard him start to groan. It was a grating noise that made chills run up her spine. Valleri glanced back at Vilkas in the pool. He was already starting to get up, propping himself up on his elbows. Matted, wet hair hung in front of his face, obscuring Valleri's view. His shoulders and arms were still beast like, with fingers ending in sharp claws.

"Vilkas? Can you understand me at all? I'm here to help." Valleri spoke in low tones as she turned fully to face him. Her hand moved to touch his shoulder again but she stopped.

She didn't realize anything was moving before Vilkas lunged at her. He snarled at her as she backed up from the pool quickly. His fangs were bared and he looked at her through crazed, golden eyes. Valleri backed into a tree as Vilkas swiped at her. There was a burning sensation as she felt Vilkas' clawed hand make contact with her arm. He was about to go in for a final attack as he cornered her against the tree.

Then he stopped and screamed, a shrill, unearthly noise that made Valleri go cold.

Vilkas' eyes turned into unemotional glass as he slumped over against her leg. There was a new, long laceration across his stomach. It wasn't deep but bled all over Valleri's trousers anyways. Surprised, Valleri now noticed the silver sabre that hung loosely in her hand. She must have countered instinctively before he could finish her off.

Valleri shook violently as she tried to recompose herself. Vilkas could have killed her. She knew deep down he could; Vilkas had evened warned her about it before. But seeing the inhuman urge to attack her in his eyes was sobering. As much as she didn't want to believe that he could just end her without a thought, the figure clinging to her leg was still Vilkas. He was still one her closest friends and he needed help.

Valleri slid to the ground and hugged tight around his shoulders. She buried her face into his fur and began to cry.

…

Vilkas didn't expect to wake up in a bed. In fact, it was the last thing he expected.

He remembered was falling face first into a puddle before everything went black. Vilkas' entire body burned and tingled as he moved. Skin pulled against stitches in his shoulder and back. Clean bandages were wrapped around his midsection. Vilkas propped himself up against the headboard of the bed he was laying on, now able to survey his new surroundings.

"You're up then? Good, good. I'm glad."

Vilkas glanced over to the other side of the room. Valleri was sitting curled in a wooden seat, hugging her sword close to her chest. She stared at him through steely, purple rimmed eyes.

Vilkas felt his chest tighten up, "What the fuck happened?"

Valleri gulped, getting out of her chair after placing the sword on the table. The chair clattered loudly across the floor as Valleri dragged the chair to his bed side. Vilkas looked at Valleri's face a bit longer. He studied the circles under her eyes, the gaunt cheeks, and the pale skin. She looked miserable.

Valleri sighed, "When you ran off, I was stupid enough to run after you."

"Oh," Vilkas muttered. He looked back down at the blankets. He caught a glimpse of the bandages wrapped around his stomach and there was an immediate sinking feeling. "What happened exactly?"

"Do you really want to know?"

They exchanged an unsure glance before Vilkas continued, "Well, I've never really known what happens when I black out. Only blurs and snippets, but nothing concrete."

Valleri tapped the side of the chair with her finger nervously. "It was," she paused, "Let's say it was grizzly. You were in bad shape when I found you."

"I feel worse than usual. Must have been really bad. Did I, uh…" Vilkas trailed off.

Valleri's face went cold. She'd seen something. "Hurt someone?" The woman paused, "You killed few chickens yesterday night." She laughed nervously, and the sound grated against Vilkas' ears.

"Valleri, don't hide what happened. You're not protecting me from anything." Vilkas placed a hand on Valleri's arm. Unexpectedly, the Imperial pulled back with an uncomfortable expression. Vilkas felt himself go cold. "This isn't the first nor the last time I've lashed out. Just tell me."

"You ended up killing a lot of people yesterday night. They looked to be bandits, but they were people nonetheless."

"You saw what remained then?" Valleri nodded in response. Vilkas could only imagine what she'd seen. He breathed out, the gash on his stomach hurt more than he'd have liked. "There's something you're still not telling me."

Valleri shook her head, mouth turning into a thin line. "Vilkas, no."

The Nord furrowed his eyebrows in frustration, "Yes. If I don't know, it's going to bother me. Valleri, please."

There was a long pause and Vilkas could see the Imperial's eyes tearing up. She rubbed them furiously before speaking, "When I found you, you were still turning back into a person and didn't recognize me," She paused again, obviously trying to speak clearly. Vilkas already knew and the guilt began to grow. "You tried to lunge at me and I was forced to draw on you. I scared I killed you because of the silver."

He almost couldn't speak. The weirdly painful gash on his stomach made more sense. And he deserved it. He stammered out a single world, "Why?"

Valleri looked back at him with a confused expression, "What?"

"Why the fuck did you stay? I almost killed you."

Valleri's expression turned rageful, even betrayed. "You think I hate you now?"

"It's a valid point of view considering what happened," Vilkas muttered. His breathing became ragged quickly as he rubbed in eyes in frustration. "Why would you follow me in the first place? You knew what was happening."

"Maybe I should hate you Vilkas; you said it was a valid reaction. But you know what? I don't. I can't," Valleri paused, forcing eye contact, "Vilkas, I was worried about you. You're one of my closest friends and I saw you suffering. I can't stand by and watch you in so much pain."

"It's not your obligation though!" Vilkas argued.

"Do you remember the Kyne festival shortly after we met? You sat next to me while I told you how much I hated Skyrim. That wasn't your obligation either, but you stayed." Valleri paused a moment, taking Vilkas by the shoulders. "Vilkas, just listen. I'll tell you over and over; you're my best friend and I can't take that back. What happened last night scared me like nothing before, but it doesn't change anything."

Vilkas could only stare at her in what he could only call amazement. Valleri was exhausted and dirty and probably scared. But she was still so earnest and honest and brave.

He laughed shakily as he placed a hand on his forehead. "It was good I asked Eorlund to use silver instead of steel."

"Skyforge silver. That's something you wouldn't hear on a regular basis." The smile reappeared on Valleri's as she got up from the chair. The Imperial went to the hearth and placed a few more logs on the dying fire.

"Where are we anyhow?"

She looked back to Vilkas with an uneasy expression, "The house where the bandits were hiding out. I took the night to move the bodies down the hill after I took care of your wounds. It should be okay to stay here for a few days while you recover from your ordeal."

Vilkas furrowed his eyebrows, "You didn't sleep?"

Valleri chuckled to herself, "I did a bit but don't worry. I'll get breakfast going."

Vilkas nodded to himself as Valleri left the cabin. His stomach grumbled when he thought of food and anything sounded good. He couldn't help but smile to himself. This was the best he'd felt in a while. He still felt horrible but there was marked difference compared to usual. Valleri had no idea how much things had improved since she arrived almost four months ago.


	26. Chapter 26

Rain pattered on the window as thick fog gathered outside. Whatever snow was left outside was gone by now, melted into puddles of water. The interior of the cabin was much warmer, the hearth inside had been burning for the last hours as the sun went down.

Vilkas stood at a table at the far end of the one room cabin, cutting up vegetables. His joints were still tired and strained, but at least he could walk around without the room spinning around him. The pot was already boiling over the hearth behind him and without another second wasted, he dumped the carrots and potatoes into the broth.

The door clattered and the Nord looked a wet Valleri up and down. Shrugging off her pack and setting it on the cupboard next to the door, Valleri looked over to the soup simmering on the hearth. She furrowed her eyebrows, "I could have taken care of that."

Vilkas titled his head as looked back at the hearth, "I know, but you were gone fore a while and I was getting hungry."

"What's in here?" Valleri asked. She stirred the pot in attempt to see what Vilkas had prepared.

"Vegetables leftover from the garden outside. Carrots, potatoes, stuff like that."

Valleri glanced back him with an inquisitive expression. "No meat?"

Vilkas shook his head, "I don't think I'd be able to stomach it for a while. Not after what I did. I'm surprised after how many times this has happened that I haven't given meat up entirely by now." He could feel his stomach churn at the thought.

"Alastaros was a vegetarian. It's a lot easier in Anvil since farming is more of a thing down south," Valleri explained. Vilkas didn't say anything back, only continuing to stare into the fire with a blank look. Valleri unclasped her shawl and undid the braid in her hair. It was frizzy and wet and Valleri wasn't looking forward to brushing out. She'd have to chop it off soon anyhow; her hair was nearly to her shoulders and becoming harder to manage in the dry climate. Keeping it short was just more convenient.

She turned back to Vilkas, "How're the stitches holding up?"

He looked up with surprised eyes, caught off guard, "So far so good. When am I supposed to take them out?"

"Don't worry I'll help with that. But you've only had them in three days, Vilkas. I'll check on the ones on your arms tomorrow, but the gash on your stomach won't be good for another week."

"Is that how long we're staying holed up here?"

Valleri's face turned sour, "No, not at all. We can leave tomorrow if you like, but I just wanted to make sure you were okay before going back to Jorrvaskr." Valleri paused. "I don't want what happened to Skjor happen to you."

"Valleri, you shouldn't worry about it too much. Skjor was almost dead by the time someone got to him," Vilkas reassured Valleri. She didn't move, but Vilkas could see the sickly expression all over her face

"I've seen people die form a lot less."

Vilkas grimaced, "Oh really?"

Valleri sighed, "Vilkas, I grew up in a chapel after a plague wiped out a quarter of the people living in Anvil. I began training as a healer before I left even."

"That's right," Vilkas paused. He sat down in a seat next to the table while Valleri went to check on the soup. "Could you tell me more about Anvil?"

"Like what?" Valleri asked, eyes not leaving the pot.

"What was it like growing up there?"

Valleri took a deep breath in, "It was probably fine, thinking back. The primate in chapel was some stuffy old man but the priestesses were nice enough. They were all hoping I'd be a healer or something. They told me that my mother was a healer before she died."

Valleri's eyes were emotionless as she stopped speaking. "Sorry about that," Vilkas muttered as he propped his elbow on the table.

The Imperial laughed dryly as she turned towards him with a confused look, "Why? It was a long time ago and it's not as though I'm terribly upset over it."

"Did they ever tell you anything else about her?" Vilkas felt his pulse start to race when he asked. He knew it was wrong to pry, but curiosity got the better of him.

"They did actually once I got a little older." Valleri now smiled widely, "They said she had brown eyes and pale skin and she always had something nice to say to those who came into the chapel for help. She apparently made a real difference for the plague victims before she got sick herself."

"Did they tell you her name?"

Valleri nodded slightly, "Yeah, they did." She paused for a moment, wistful expression on her face, "Her name was Ulia."

"It's pretty," Vilkas replied.

Valleri turned back towards him with a grin. "Isn't it though? Soups ready by the way. Get me a few bowls and I'll serve it up."

Vilkas got up from his seat with a groan as he went to the cupboard. Valleri hummed to herself as she ladled the soup and handed the bowl back to him. The Nord began eating right away, not waiting for Valleri to take her seat. The taste was subpar and watery, but it was food and Vilkas was glad for the sustenance.

Valleri eyed him curiously. He furrowed his eyebrows, "Is something wrong with my face?"

She shook her head, "No. I'm a bit curious though; what does silver do werewolves exactly?" Vilkas laughed loudly as he rubbed his eyes. Valleri shot him a disgruntled glance, "Did I day something wrong?"

"No, no, not at all. It's a valid question," Vilkas cracked a small smile, "I should have expected it. Silver upsets the blood for some reason. Makes it hard to heal wounds."

Valleri's face went pale. "By the Divines, I am so sorry."

"Don't be, that sword saved your life. And it's not like I haven't been stabbed by silver before." Vilkas took a bite of potato before continuing. "It'll just leave a nasty scar."

"How about prolonged exposure?"

"What happens is like an allergy. Sneezing, coughing, rashes; that sort of stuff. Something about the way the blood reacts causes a reaction. If I were to stay in a silver mine for any amount of time, I'd probably have a cold for about two weeks. It's awful."

Valleri stifled a laugh, "You can't win them all I guess." It wasn't long before she was laughing at her joke and Vilkas only exasperatedly shook his head and continued eating.

…

Valleri almost didn't wake up when the pounding at the door got louder and more persistent. They rain must have stopped sometime after she dozed off; water was still dripping down the windows but the familiar pattering noise was no more.

Valleri groaned as she watched Vilkas start to get up from the bed. She gestured for him to stop while she grabbed for her sword and checked the window. The figure outside was small and soaked wet, but Valleri couldn't see anything threatening. She unlocked the door with a rushed urgency while Vilkas got up behind her.

Valleri was met with the fearful face of a woman she didn't know. The newcomer nearly started crying when Valleri let her sword go slack in her arm. The woman nearly fell into Valleri's chest as she kept muttering to herself, "Oh thank the gods! I'd never thought I'd find help!"

The Imperial woman glanced back to Vilkas, now behind her, before bringing the newcomer into the cabin. She sat her down in the chair near the hearth and handed her a blanket as Vilkas locked the door behind them.

Valleri kneeled in front of the woman and spoke in an even tone, "Can you tell us what happened?"

The woman looked down at her with wide, scared eyes. In only a moment, she started tearing up and Valleri felt her heat sink. Tangled brown hair fell in front of her face as the woman's head hung low. Valleri sighed and looked back to Vilkas. The big Nord only shrugged.

Hesitantly, Valleri placed her hand on the woman's bruised arm and began to speak again, "We can't help you if you don't tell us what happened."

The woman finally rubbed her eyes and swallowed hard. "I, I was kidnapped by wizards. I don't know how long ago, they kept me and a few others locked up in a cave. Oh gods, I didn't think I'd make it out." The woman began crying again.

Valleri shook her arm lightly, trying to get the woman back on track. "Are you hurt?"

The woman shook her head profusely, "No, I'm fine."

Valleri didn't pause, "You said wizards kidnapped you? Do you know what for?"

"They needed live test subjects," the woman managed to say between shaky sobs. "If they took you, you weren't coming back. They took my brother and he never came back. I heard him screaming from the back room and then it stopped so suddenly."

Goosebumps rose on Valleri's skin; she tried not to shake as her mouth went dry, "How many people were with you in the cave? How did you escape?"

"There were five others, including me." She paused, "Two of them killed one of the guards and set the place on fire. Everyone panicked and I think I was one of the only ones to make it out. All I remember is running."

Valleri got up suddenly and passed Vilkas on the other side of the room to grab her cloak, "Where's this cave you mentioned?"

"Only a few miles west from here. But, please! Please, don't go!"

Valleri grinned uneasily as she went for the door, "I'll be back soon. My friend will look after you in the meantime." She gave the woman a final reassuring glance before closing the door behind her. It was almost pitch-black outside, but Valleri's eyes adjusted quickly. She could make the shapes of trees and rocks here and there and that would have to be good enough.

Valleri only made it a few feet down the road before she heard foot steps behind her, "Valleri, wait!"

The woman turned around to see Vilkas running towards her. Her eyes went wide with astonishment, "Vilkas, what the fuck are you doing?"

"Are you really going?" Vilkas asked. Valleri could hear a hint of anger in his voice.

Valleri looked at him with disbelief, "Of course I am. Why do you think I'm out here?"

Vilkas glanced at the tree line before looking back at Valleri, narrowing his eyes in frustration. "Alastaros and Lexius may not have even been there. Whoever kidnapped that lady sounds much more serious than your usual mage, Valleri."

"I'm still going," Valleri retorted.

Vilkas' angry expression melted into something softer. He placed a heavy hand on her shoulder and didn't break eye contact. The concern in his face was obvious. "It's just an unnecessary risk. You'll probably go in there and get hurt, maybe killed."

Valleri glared at him, "That's never stopped me before, Vilkas. And frankly neither are you."

The Nord stepped back and he suddenly looked so betrayed and Valleri immediately felt a pang of regret. Vilkas steadied himself as best he could and broke the silence, "Fine, but I'm going with you."

"Absolutely not," Valleri said plainly.

"Why?"

Valleri paused, almost forgetting to breath. "The gash in your stomach for one. Maybe the fact the fact that you're still coming down from your transformation the other night? How about the fact that you have no armor? Would you like me to continue?" Valleri finished, gesturing wildly.

Vilkas sighed and crossed his arms. Most of the frustration in his face was gone and Valleri felt like a weight lifted. "Fine, you've made your point."

Valleri mustered a smile as she stepped closer to him. "I'll try to be careful, all right?"

"Doesn't make me feel better, not in the slightest," Vilkas retorted.

Valleri could almost laugh, "I know. If I'm not back by tomorrow evening, can you promise me that you'll go back to Whiterun? I know you'd rather not, but I need to be sure you and that woman are safe."

Vilkas wouldn't look at Valleri while he pouted. He shook his head once more, "I still want to go with you."

Without much of a thought, Valleri hugged him around the shoulders and buried her nose in his shoulder. She smiled wildly as he hugged her back. "I'll be fine, just you wait. I'll be back before you know it then we can go home."

Valleri pulled away from Vilkas and placed her hand on the hilt of her sabre before turning on her heel. Vilkas crossed his arms as he watched the Imperial woman disappear down the road. Suddenly he felt a lot colder before willing himself to go back to the cabin.

…

Vilkas stalked back to the cabin with a sick feeling in his stomach. He knew that Valleri could handle herself decently in a fight and she wasn't a complete idiot. But leaving her by herself wasn't sitting well with him.

The door was already open for him when he saw the cabin up ahead. The woman was holding on the door as tight as she could, as though she would have to close it at any moment to keep intruders out. The fear in her eyes was mostly gone now, replaced by exhaustion. Vilkas didn't spare her a second glance when he walked in.

The woman turned to face him as Vilkas sat down on the bed, "That woman, will she be all right by herself?"

"I hope. She has a bad habit of rushing into things. I'm usually there with her to make sure she doesn't do anything too reckless," Vilkas muttered as he ran a hand through his hair.

The woman sat back in the chair at the other end of the room. "Why didn't you go with her now?"

Vilkas looked at her from the corner of his eye, not bothering to turn his head. The woman reeled back for a moment before Vilkas answered in a low tone, "She asked to go alone."

"Oh," the woman muttered. She pulled her knees to her chest and stared to run her hands through the knots in her hair. She looked back at Vilkas on the bed, "What's her name?"

"Her name is Valleri."

"What about yours?"

"Vilkas."

The woman's face lit up momentarily as she began to speak again, "I had a cousin named Vilkas. He died though recently in one of the skirmishes up north. That's why my brother and I were travelling; we were going to his funeral in Windhelm." She stopped talking suddenly, but Vilkas could hear the nervousness in her voice.

"Apologies then," he said, trying to fill the awkward lull.

The woman furrowed her eyebrows in mock confusion, "What for?"

"Your cousin and your brother I suppose," Vilkas shrugged.

"Oh." The woman paused and he could see sorrow wash over her face, "Thank you. I guess I'm lucky to be alive." She looked up again, trying to look happy once more, "Is this your home, Vilkas?"

The Nord shook his head, "Not at all. Valleri and I from Whiterun." Vilkas paused momentarily. The woman was eyeing him with curiosity, probably hoping he would continue. He sighed and relented, "I was in a similar situation a few nights ago and ended up pretty hurt. Valleri found me before things got too bad and we've been bunking up here since."

"What happened exactly?"

Vilkas felt his chest tighten at the question. "That's not something I feel comfortable telling you," he sputtered before watching the woman tense up. Vilkas sighed again, "Sorry, it was a valid question, but I'm just not keen on answering."

The woman shook her quickly, "No, it was a really personal. I apologize." There was another long silence while the woman finished working out the knots in her hair. She braided it back while she started talking again, "Is Valleri your wife or something?"

Vilkas sat up with a start, mouth held open in shock. "What in the world gave you that idea? Of course, she's not my wife! We work together!" He could feel his cheeks heat up as he rubbed his temples in frustration. He could feel a migraine coming on.

"Sorry!" the woman nearly shouted, eyes wide again, "You two just seemed really close and you ran after her before she left. Mum always did say I assume the craziest things."

Vilkas got up from the bed and went towards the door. He looked back to the woman at the table, "Listen, it's late. People say stupid things when they're tired. Get some sleep. I'm gonna go outside for some air." He slammed the door behind him with a quick movement, not bothering to look back. The smell of rain and decay hit him like a cart and the Nord found it hard to stand suddenly. Taking a seat on the bench, he rubbed his chin in thought.

Valleri said to give her a day. Only half an hour had passed since she left and Vilkas was already tired of waiting. He was beginning to assume the worst was bound to happen, despite knowing that Valleri could hold her own perfectly fine.

Why did he feel so empty when she let him go?


	27. Chapter 27

Valleri paused at the mouth of cave, the smell of the left-over smoke from inside and the unnatural heat that came with it emanated from the entrance. Without much thought, Valleri pulled the sabre from the scabbard at her side and strode on in. The darkness of the cave made her skin crawl, the tunnel narrowing as she went downwards. It opened out to another cavern where a large mammoth skull was suspended in the air on fraying ropes. Valleri took a look at the tusks, aimed downwards towards the floor. Smears of red blood covered the tusks, contrasting with the yellowed ivory. Valleri could feel her stomach churn as she turned away.

Valleri found herself in another, larger tunnel where the smell of burning oil hung heavy in the air. It was thick enough and Valleri could almost taste it in her mouth. She looked around before stepping further. A wooden walkway lead to another cavern further up on the wall. The wood was burnt up and Valleri could see remnants of old oil puddles on the floor. From the look of it, the fire was bound happen sooner or later and how it didn't happen until now was beyond her.

Carefully, Valleri made her way up the ramp. Burned wood creaked underfoot. With each step, Valleri braced herself. The wooden steps made one final groan before Valleri let herself breath as she made it to the landing. The tunnel leading to the next portion of the cave was dark. Valleri was left make out only vague shapes in the distance.

Steeling herself, the Imperial kept her sabre hung high in the air as she walked forward. Eyes adjusted to the darkness, Valleri's skin prickled.  
Valleri glanced around to inspected the room. Remnants of desks and various magical equipment littered a better part of the area. There were a few bodies scattered on the floor, burned past recognition. Red salts littered the floor, spilling out of a toppled barrel. They crackled as Valleri sifted through the mess with her foot. Even through the thick leather, the salts were warm.

In the back corner was a cage not big enough for a wolf or two though two dead Nords were laying stacked in the back portion of the tiny space. Valleri felt her stomach churn; she'd seen bandits who treated prisoners better. But then again, the woman who escaped did say the prisoners were nothing more than experiment fodder.

A dead Bosmer wasn't far off. He wasn't as burnt up as the other mages around her. Valleri knelt down to get a better look. His neck was hastily cut open, wound open and gaping. Jagged bits of flesh had been eaten away by fire while old blood dried into the dirt and floorboards. This man must have been the guard that the prisoners killed. Valleri got up, spotting a bloodstained dagger nearby.

Valleri sighed and put the sabre back into its scabbard. She came prepared for a fight, but assuming from the bodies around her, it was already fought and won.

The next cavern was much larger; Valleri had to crane her neck upwards to look at the ceiling. This room looked to be untouched by the fire; ancient Nordic stone work lined the walls and no wood was to found. On the upper balcony, Valleri could see the remains of an explosion on the wall. The fire may have not reached here, but something still happened.

Quickly, she made her way up to the balcony. One of the old word walls she'd seen before was carved into the rock face while a small altar was placed haphazardly in front. Valleri paused as she made it to the upper landing. Fire salts were scattered around the ground in a circular fashion, though they had been disturbed when Valleri noticed they didn't form a perfect circle. A scorched body lay on the alter, obviously sewn together from spare body parts from the prisoners. She could smell the rotting flesh from where she stood and almost vomited. The Imperial woman willed herself to go forward despite the black, sickening feeling that cemented itself in her stomach.

Valleri turned her head when she heard a cough from the other side of the altar. She peered around the corner to find an old man sitting on the ground, staring up at the black wall.

He glared back at her from the corner of his eyes. "Well? What are you waiting for?" he snapped, voice raspy with age.

Valleri's skin went cold as she stared at him in disbelief. Finally, she mustered a small, unsure smirk, "Waiting for what exactly?"

"Oh, by the Divines, are you going to kill me or not?"

Valleri reeled back momentarily before speaking, "You think I'd kill you?"

"You come into a well-known coven hideout with a sword and not expect to kill anyone for treasure and glory? What sort of a half-baked adventurer are you?" the old man squealed with wide eyed disappointment.

"I'm not an adventurer; I'm a member of the Companions on business," Valleri shrugged. "Are you the last one alive?"

The old man threw his hand up in the air with exasperation, "Of course, you're apart of the Companions! They get their damn noses everywhere." He looked back at her with narrowed, suspicious eyes, "But yes, I suppose I'm the last one left. After what happened, I'm surprised I'm not dead."

Valleri paused before moving around to the other side of the altar. She stared down at the old man, "What happened here though?"

He laughed dryly, "There was a riot and the prisoners burned the goddamned place down! I told Steffanos it would happen, but did he listen to me? No, not at all and now he's a stiff. Serves him right," the old man muttered as he stared at the ground.

"Who's Steffanos?"

The old man laughed again, "One of them crazy Synod bastards they had the right idea to kick out. He was convinced he could make some sort of flesh flame atronach hybrid. We needed fresh body parts for the experiments."

"That explains the fire salts in the other room," Valleri muttered to herself. She took another look at the black ring on the wall. She gestured towards it uneasily, "Is that Steffanos over there?"

"What's left of him at least."

Valleri cringed, "Gods, what a horrible way to go." She looked back to the old man and tilted her head in curiosity, "You mentioned a riot?"

"That I did. Some foolish apprentice left a dagger near the cage and one of them prisoners slit his throat with it. The pig bled out all over the floor. When the others went to check it out, they set the place on fire. Everything was chaos after that. Steffanos went crazy when two of them went for blood."

"I'm not surprised," Valleri whispered blandly. She paused for a moment, "Did Steffanos ever buy any of the prisoners?"

"Sure, he did. But only when things got slow."

Valleri breathed out, suddenly feeling more alert. "Did he buy a Redgaurd and an Altmer recently? They would have come together."

The old man paused when he looked up at the Imperial woman. "How would you know that?"

Valleri laughed dryly, a meek smile forming on her face. "They were, uh, friends of mine."

"Well, you'd be happy to know those two were the ones who started this whole mess in the first place," the old man continued, not breaking eye contact with Valleri. "They weren't in good condition when Steffanos bought them. But boy, did he do wonders on the Altmer. He was nearly blind in one eye when he escaped. Can't imagine they would have gone far knowing what shape they were in."

"Well, fuck," Valleri sighed; this man obviously didn't know her family well. When it mattered, Alastaros and Lexius could travel efficiently enough to out match a horse on a paved road. They'd been enough sticky situations to know better. But then again, Lexius was more than likely still recovering from his assault and Alastaros was apparently almost blind. Valleri could only hope for the best.

"I believe their possessions are still in the back room if you're interested."

"Possessions?"

The old man got up off the floor and began ambling towards the other side of the balcony, "The bandits who were selling them didn't check the old Altmer's pockets very well. The apprentices found a trove of things he'd hidden. Not a lot mind you."

Valleri followed at a brisk pace, catching up to the old man quickly. He pulled out a small bag and emptied the contents out on a table. Reluctantly, Valleri sifted through the small pile of things. Most were small make shift knives, but Valleri paused when she potted a glimmering piece of metal. She picked it up and inspected the carved ruby eagle on the golden band. Alastaros' signet ring wasn't helpful in the least, but Valleri almost cried. She wasn't expecting to see it again.

The old man placed a gentle hand on her back, his near constant frown melting into a look of pity. "There was a journal as well. Steffanos kept it separate from the rest, thinking there could have been something useful since one of them was an elf and all."

Valleri looked up, "Is it still here?"

Valleri furrowed her eyebrows in confusion, "Unfortunately, it is," he muttered.

"What do you mean unfortunately?"

"When the prisoners were rioting, your friends came here to grab their things before they split. Steffanos went mad when he caught them and started yelling and spitting like of them cats from down south. There was a scuffle and Steffanos was vaporized by the elf and the Redgaurd grabbed the wrong journal."

Valleri's skin went cold again, barely able to speak, "I need that journal. It's imperative I get it back."

The old man shrugged before pulling a small leather-bound book from a nearby bookshelf. He offered it to the woman, "No one could understand a lick of anything in there. Your friends must have been some sort of geniuses to read and write whatever fancy elvish is in there. Though in hindsight, I guess it would have been easy for that Altmer."

"It was Falmer," Valleri said plainly as she flipped through the small journal. She paused staring at the blood-stained pages, noting the change in hand writing near the end of what had been written. Alastaros' elegant script turned hurried and jolty, closer resembling Lexius' bad handwriting. "Almost no one can read it, so I don't think a bunch of country hicks could make heads or tails of what written here."

"Falmer? Like the blind creatures in Dwemer ruins?" the old man questioned.

"One and the same," Valleri said without moving her eyes away from the pages.

"That list of Dwemer ruins in the beginning makes sense. What were your friends looking for?"

Valleri glared at the old man momentarily before snapping the journal shut, "It's not my place to say. All you need to know is that the Thalmor are interested in this matter, so it's best not get involved." She paused, trying to look not quite so icy, "Thank you though. You've helped more than you'll ever know."

The old man shrugged a final time before moving past Valleri. "I don't need or want your thanks, lady. I've got nothing left here." He waved his hand at her dramatically, "I'm leaving and I suggest you do too."

Valleri only frowned to herself as she watched the old man leave the room. She willed herself to the edge of the balcony and sat down. What was left of Steffanos was on the wall behind her and she could see the ruins of the fire in the other room. Valleri couldn't think and only stared at the old Nordic stonework that lined the walls.

…

Vilkas went back into the cabin to find the woman had indeed fallen asleep, though in the chair and not in the bed like he'd suggested. He breathed in deeply before groaning momentarily in pain. His stitches stung if he moved around too much. Valleri had really done a number on him and the silver wasn't good for his health. He did give her the sabre for the possibility she'd be cornered by a werewolf, but in all honesty Vilkas didn't think she'd have to use it for its intended purpose.

He pulled a spare cloak over his shoulders and grabbed a lamp from the table. Jostling the woman awake, he spoke with a serious tone, "Hey, I'm leaving in a moment."

The woman wiped the sleep from her eyes and looked around the room. "What time is it?" she muttered.

"I'd reckon its almost first light. You've been asleep for a few hours."

"I thought that Valleri lady asked for a day before we did anything," the woman retorted, pulling her blanket closer around her.

Vilkas clicked his tongue, "Listen, I've seen Valleri do some pretty stupid shit from time to time and I've got a bad feeling about this."

The woman didn't answer for a moment before getting up out of the chair. "I'll go with you then."

"Why in the world would you do that?" Vilkas nearly shouted as he turned his head in disbelief. The woman reeled back for a moment, making Vilkas a bit guilty. "Would you really want to go back there after being held in a cage and tortured for so long?"

The woman crossed her arms, "I'd rather not stay here by myself. I'm not sure if any of those mages are alive and looking for me."

Vilkas rubbed his face and sighed in frustration before throwing her a cloak. He didn't wait for her to put it on as he went outside and lit the lamp. The woman followed him closely as they made their way to the cave entrance some miles away. The sun was beginning to rise as Vilkas entered.

The smell of smoke and burning oil hit him like a door and he had to take moment to breathe. The woman turned to him, "Are you all right?"

Vilkas nodded his head as he rubbed his temples, "I'm good. I didn't expect the smoke to still be so heavy in the air."

The woman's expression melted into confusion, "What do you mean? It's already filtered out."

"Oh," Vilkas muttered nervously, "I've got a sensitive nose. Let's go." The Nord pushed past the woman and hurried through the first part of the cave. There were no signs of a recent struggle besides the riot the woman mentioned. He slowed down as he found the back room with the cage. He gestured towards it and the dead Bosmer nearby. "Is that where they kept you and the others?"

"Yes," the woman said, face pale. "That elf tried to grab me a few times. When the Redgaurd killed him, I couldn't have been happier"

Vilkas turned towards the exit, "Shor's bones. We've gotta find Val."

The woman nodded in agreement before the duo moved to the final room. Vilkas felt himself tense up as he moved. The silence in the other room was unsettling and Vilkas' mind went to the worst. He paused before opening the door, cursing himself that he didn't bring any sort of weapon.

The door swung open with a high-pitched creak, revealing a spacious old Nordic crypt. The stone was untouched by the fire but Vilkas could see a corpse on an altar above.

"Vilkas?"

The Nord looked up to his left to see Valleri perched on the edge of the balcony looking no worse for the wear. He felt a weight fall of his shoulders and he could feel himself smiling a bit.

The Imperial woman got up from her seat and Vilkas and the woman on the lower level. Her happy expression seemed tense and her voice was shaky, "What are you guys doing here? I hoped you would have stayed back at the cabin."

The woman made her way to Valleri's side, "He couldn't wait and was going to run off."

Valleri frowned when she looked back to Vilkas, who looked at her with a guilty expression. She sighed in exasperation before her expression melted into annoyed fondness. "You still can't trust me not kill myself in these ruins, huh?"

Vilkas shook his head, "You said trust should be earned." He paused, looking around the room, "What happened here? The place is empty." Vilkas could see Valleri pause, obviously uncomfortable. The Imperial's eyes shifted from him to the woman by her, mouth contorting into a worried frown. Valleri pulled his hand to her and opened it only to drop a small ring in it. He inspected the ring closer, noting the intricate carved bird on the face. "What is this?"

"They were here, Vilkas. They were here and they escaped," the words barely made their way from Valleri's mouth as she smiled widely.

The woman next to Valleri shifted nervously, "Who escaped?"

Valleri laughed as she turned to her, "There was an Altmer and a Redguard with you. I've been looking for them for months now." Valleri took a hold of the woman's shoulder with glee, "Gods, I can't thank you enough!" The woman didn't say anything as Vilkas could see her process Valleri's sudden thanks.

The Nord gave the ring back to Valleri, "That's great, Val, but it doesn't tell you where they went."

"It does though. They accidentally left Alastaros' journal in the confusion. He wrote down everything. If I had a little bit of time, I could figure out where they are. I can continue Alastaros' work."

Vilkas furrowed his eyebrows, "You mean the Ayleid necklace? You're going after it?"

Valleri beamed back at him with happiest grin he'd seen. "Vilkas, you have no idea. This has been something all three of us have been dreaming about for almost two years now. If finding them means finding that necklace, I can't even begin to think of the possibilities."

Vilkas sighed; there was no changing her mind and frankly he couldn't bring himself to disappoint her. Valleri just looked too happy and she needed it now more than ever. He breathed in and shook his head, "Let's go at least. We've been away from Jorrvaskr too long."

Valleri took one final look at him, smile still warm, and grabbed his shoulder for support "Yeah, let's go home."


	28. Chapter 28

The trio didn't arrive back in town until late in the afternoon the next day. Valleri was lucky enough to convince Vilkas to bypass Riverwood after mentioning what happened with the chickens. The woman was much less easy to persuade. She was tired after her long ordeal in the cave and while Valleri couldn't blame her for wanting to take things slow, the Imperial wanted to go home. This trip turned out to be too much longer than Valleri anticipated.

Whiterun hadn't changed in the week Valleri ran off into the night. Vilkas was visibly glad to see the doors of the mead hall and immediately went downstairs to sleep. Claudia said her final farewells and departed for god's knew where. The Imperial woman threw her scabbard on the table in the main hall and sunk into a chair. Sunlight filtered in through the windows but Valleri just wanted to sleep.

She was brought back to the present when Farkas took the seat across from her. He looked her over with concern, "That took longer than expected. You look like shit."

Valleri smirked, "I feel like it too."

"How did things go?" Farkas asked, voice nervous as if he were expecting bad news. His eyes fell to the bloodstained portion of her shirt sleeve.

"Everything hurts, but I'm fine. Vilkas is on the mend too, so he'll be okay."

Farkas paused, "I saw him on his way down. He didn't say anything and just went on to his room. I'm assuming he's just sleeping it off now." Farkas' eyes darted around the room anxiously, "I smelled silver on him. What happened?"

Valleri gulped, guilt crawling up spine. She met Farkas' eyes momentarily before looking away, "I'm not sure you'd want to hear about it."

"It can't be that bad."

"Yes it can, Farkas," Valleri muttered. Farkas stared at her, eyes alert and curious. The Imperial woman sighed and tapped the wooden table nervously. "You really want to know what happened?"

The Nord nodded his head vigorously, "Yeah, I do. I already know it's not in the slightest bit pleasant. But that's how things go, right? I just want to know what my brother went through. Maybe in that way I can help him."

"Alright, fine." Valleri paused, wringing her hands in anxiety, "I found him in the woods right after he was starting to turn back and killed some bandits. I can only assume that he didn't recognize me or something and went to attack me."

"Valleri, I told you that would happen," Farkas said.

The woman waved him off, "Yeah, yeah. You told me so. I knew what I was getting into." She looked out the window momentarily, "I may have almost sliced him open with that sword he gave me."

Farkas blanched in horror, "Wait, what the fuck?

Panicking, Valleri clamored out of her seat, "Do you know where Kodlak is? I forgot there was something I needed to talk to him about."

The Nord furrowed his eyebrows in disappointment, "He's outside, Val." He watched Valleri leave the room with an exasperated frown and only shook his head when the door closed behind her.

…

"Kodlak, we need to talk."

The old warrior looked up with a blank expression that made Valleri unnerved. He breathed out sharply as he looked her up and down, noting the tiredness in her eyes. Without much thought, he tapped the chair next to him for her to sit down. Reluctantly, Valleri took his offer.

"How long ago did you get back?"

"Not even an hour ago," Valleri said before resting her forearms on her knees. "Would I be right to assume you have a good idea about what happened?"

Kodlak was slow to answer, eyes not moving from the people in the training yard. "Aye, I could give an educated guess, even without seeing what shape the lad returned in." He turned his head towards Valleri, "Was it as bad I think it is?"

Valleri laughed dryly, "I'm not entirely sure what happens usually, but he ended up killing a lot of people. He almost killed me too." She watched Kodlak's bearded face contort into a grimace.

"How's he been holding up since then?"

Valleri spoke in clear voice, trying to sound as unemotional as she could, "He was pretty horribly beat up." She paused, noting his surprise, "But I was able to treat his wounds though. He's got a bunch of stitches." Valleri continued

"May I ask where you two stayed during this time?"

"There was an abandoned cabin I was lucky enough to find. We stayed there."

The Imperial woman stopped and looked back at the training yard in front of her as she waited for Kodlak's answer. Valleri heard the old man sigh to himself before speaking, "Thank you, Valleri. I can't relate to you how much it means to know that Vilkas had someone there for him this time."

"I'm happy to do it, Vilkas is one my closest friends here. But why don't you ever try to help him? You said he was like a son to you." Valleri asked.

"I have tried in the past. Vilkas is a prideful fool though much like the rest of us and he was livid when anyone tried to help. I've tried to explain it to him time after time, but the lad's convinced the blood is his burden to carry alone."

Valleri couldn't feel any empathy for Kodlak and willed herself not to say anything that might anger the old man. She watched Aela curse as she missed a target. "What did you tell the others Vilkas and I were doing after you found out we left?"

"I told them there was an escaped prisoner in Falkreath that you two were sent after. Why?"

Valleri smirked, "I want to make sure I get the story right in case anyone asks. I feel a bit bad for Vilkas though."

Kodlak looked over with curiosity, "Oh? Why's that?"

Valleri laughed, "They're either going to think it was some sort of superhuman escapee or that the Master at Arms is losing his touch." Kodlak smiled at her remark and Valeri let herself breathe again. "Hey, Kodlak?"

"Yes?"

Valleri glanced at the old man with curiosity, "Are you any closer to finding a cure?"

Kodlak shrugged, "Patience is a virtue when trying to find such obscure information. But I'm close. So close I can all but taste it. I'll let you know first thing when I do find a cure."

Valleri nodded in silent agreement before continuing, "One other thing, about Alastaros and Lexius."

"Did you find them?"

"No, I didn't." Valleri paused and looked down with a small smile. "But we came across the mages who happened to buy them. By the time we got there, my friends were able to escape. I was able to find Alastaros' journal through the wreckage."

Kodlak's eyes widened, "Valleri, that's good news, but I fail to see what this means."

"If I can read through it I might be able to find out where they're heading. Alastaros was after a relic holed up here in Skyrim. Knowing them, that's where they'll be heading."

"Not back to Cyrodiil?" the old man inquired, furrowing his eyebrows.

Valleri shook her head, "Not at all. Both Lex and Alastaros spent too long trying to find it and they don't give up easily."

"Right then. Valleri," Kodlak paused, exchanging an uncertain look with the Imperial, "I recall that when I accepted your initial offer quite some time ago, you said you had no intention of going after this relic. Has that changed?"

Valleri frowned as she studied the old man's face again. His expression was still blank and it made her nervous. "What if it did?"

Kodlak sighed and stroked his beard, "Change begets change, Valleri. May I be frank for a moment?"

"Go ahead."

The old man cleared his throat, then continued, "During the few months that I've known you, I've noticed you have a one-track mind. You become consumed with what ever is in front of you at that moment and not much else. The Companions primary goal is to serve those in Skyrim that can't help themselves."

Valleri furrowed her eyebrows and paused Kodlak. She spoke up, voice tense, "Are you asking if going after this relic would interfere with my work here?"

"Well, yes."

"Fuck. Look, I'm not sure," the woman breathed out, "I've been working on this project for years now, Kodlak. I could go to Markarth if you really think I should leave."

Kodlak shook his head as he got up from his seat, "No, no, Valleri. If you want to leave Whiterun and the Companions, it should be of your own volition." He looked down at her before walking away, "Whatever happens, it is your choice."

Valleri watched him leave with an empty feeling of foreboding.

…

Valleri leaned back in the wooden tub, letting the warm water lap over her shoulders. She rubbed at her skin with a coarse rag, wiping away the dirt and grime away. The water turned a sick brown water the longer she soaked.

Ysolda knocked on the door before striding into the back room. The woman sat down on a stool near the side of the tub. She shook her head at Valleri, "You've been here for no more than ten minutes and the water is already dirty. What were you two even doing anyhow?"

Valleri shrugged, water splashing over the side and onto the floor, "Just chasing people through the woods. You know, the usual stuff."

"Must have been one hell of a guy if it took you and Vilkas almost a week to find them." Ysolda chuckled to herself before dipping her hand in the water. "It must be nice to relax after all that I suppose."

"Nothing better than a good bath. Also, a lot better than public bathing too." Valleri paused tilting her head, "Or a river."

Ysolda laughed nervously as her eyes grew wide. "Wait, public bathing? Should I be concerned?"

"Not at all," Valleri said, waving her hand dismissively, "Public baths are a lot more popular in Cyrodiil. There's a ton in the Imperial city since most homes are old and space is in short supply."

"Did your place in Anvil have a bath?"

"Yeah, we did. The previous owners had it built facing west, so if you went in in the evening, you could watch the sunset. Though I lived with three men, one of which was an Argonian, so I didn't use it often."

The grin on Ysolda's face grew, "And the river?"

"A few years ago, we were staying at an old Ayleid city in the Reserve a good way north of Anvil. We were there for months."

"So the river was your only option?" Ysolda continued. Valleri nodded her head before dunking her head into the water. Ysolda propped her head on her hands and waited for the Imperial to surface. "I heard about the journal you found."

Valleri groaned, dragging her hands down her face, "Gods, Kodlak told Farkas didn't he? I swear, next time I see Kodlak…"

"I thought you liked Kodlak?"

Valleri paused and glared at the water in front of her, "I don't know right now. He says one thing then changes his mind without telling anyone. It's the most infuriating thing sometimes."

Ysolda laughed and straightened up again, "What happened?"

"You wouldn't want to know and it's complicated."

"Oh, come on, I bet it's not!" the Nord woman continued, ignoring her friend's protests. There was a sharp knock at the door and both women fell silent. Valleri was breathed a sigh of relief as Ysolda left to open the door. "What in the world are you doing here?" Yslolda nearly shouted.

Valleri craned her neck forward to see the Vilkas' dark figure in the door way. Unimpressed, Ysolda crossed her arms and blocked the door. "Ysolda, it's fine. He can come in," Valleri retorted.

"Are you absolutely sure?" Ysolda asked as she looked back at Valleri over her shoulder.

"Yeah its fine," Valleri said, waving for the two of them to come, "Just hurry though. You're letting all of the warm air escape."

Vilkas followed Ysolda into the room only to lean back against the wall. The air in the room was tense as Ysolda continued to glare at Vilkas. Finally, the redhead moved to speak, "What did you come over for?"

The man shifted his weight uncomfortably before giving his answer, "I needed to talk to Valleri." Ysolda only shook her head when he failed to elaborate. "Ysolda, can you leave? I'd rather talk to Val alone."

"Are you kidding?" Ysolda retorted, turning back to the Imperial in the bath, "Valleri?"  
Valleri laughed nervously, "It's fine Ysolda. It's not like he hasn't seen any of this before and we're all adults. Besides I've seen him naked too, it should be good."

Valleri watched as Vilkas' eye grew to the size of dinner plates and his face turned a dark shade of red. Ysolda moved her mouth to speak but no words came out. She looked back and forth between Vilkas and Valleri with a look of shock. Finally, Ysolda shook her head and left the room, mumbling incoherently.

Vilkas moved closer to the stool next to the tub as Valleri sat forwards. Concern was written all over his face and Valleri almost wanted to laugh. "Did you actually see?" Vilkas trialed off and Valleri couldn't help but burst out laughing.

She rubbed her face to regain any sort of composure. It was another moment before she could speak, "Yeah, I did. Your clothes were gone when I dragged you back to the cabin."

"Shor's bones. I'm not sure there's much I can say after that then."

"Not really. But don't apologize, it's not I haven't seen that before," Valleri continued, enjoying the uncomfortable look on the Nord's face. He didn't say anything to stop her as the Imperial continued, "Wait! When was the last time you got laid?"

Suddenly Vilkas looked up, "I don't see how that's relevant!"

Again Valleri laughed. She shook her head with a grin, "Sorry, you're right. That was in bad taste, wasn't it?" She paused, looking back up to Vilkas. The man's look of embarrassment had melted into something more akin to mild concern. "What was so urgent that you had come all this way?"

"I heard about your conversation with Kodlak," Vilkas murmured quietly.

Valleri clicked her tongue, "Farkas told you?"

"No, Kodlak did. He said you were thinking about leaving for Markarth. Was he serious about that?"

Valleri tried to make ye contact with Vilkas but when she failed, she spoke, "I'm not entirely sure what's going to happen. He was concerned that I wouldn't be able to do any of my work here if I went after Lex and Alastaros."

Vilkas frowned, "It's easy to see where he's coming from."

"I know, I know. That's why I was wondering how hard it would be to ingratiate myself with Calcelmo. Maybe I can stay there while I sort things out," Valleri explained.

"I thought Calcelmo hated Alastaros. You'd really do that?"

Valleri laughed, "Yeah, I don't think I have much choice. If Kodlak doesn't want me here, I can't stay."

She watched Vilkas pause and bite the inside of his lip, "That doesn't sound all that fair. Just leaving like that?"

"No one said Kodlak was the fairest person in the world. Though after what happened with the Circle, he's trying." Valleri looked down at the brownish water and tried to smile, "It wouldn't be the worst thing in the world if I moved on; I wasn't planning on staying long anyhow."

Suddenly she watched Vilkas look up with an expression of uncertainty, "What if I asked you to stay regardless?"

Valleri narrowed her eyes with curiosity, "What would you get out of it?"

Again nervous, Vilkas looked away. "I'm not even sure. I could say I would miss you but that's probably not entirely honest. I think I'm too invested in what you're doing…" Vilkas trialed off.

Valleri's lips spread into a wide smile, "Are you saying you want to help me find the necklace?"

The Nord gulped as he reached for Valleri's hand. Holding it tight in his own he looked down to Valleri with an earnest expression, "It doesn't matter if Kodlak asks me to or if Alastaros comes to me personally from the grave, I want to help you, Valleri. After what happened last week, I feel as though I owe you so much."

Valleri could feel herself choking up, "I honestly don't know what to say, suffice to say I don't think I could be happier." The Imperial woman paused, finally making eye contact with Vilkas, "I'll think it over before I do anything and I'll start on the journal tonight.

The Nord got up from the stool and started towards the exit, "Sorry about barging in on you, but I thought I should tell you before you left or something."

"Hey, Vilkas?" Valleri said before he opened the door.

"Yeah?"

"What you said is really important. I don't think I'd leave if I can help it especially since you're willing to stick with me." Valleri heard Vilkas say something to himself before he disappeared into the other room. She looked back at the water, cupping a bit in her hands. Slowly the liquid drained and all Valleri could think of was the genuine look on Vilkas' face. She couldn't help but feel better when she thought about it.


	29. Chapter 29

Valleri stopped and held her breath as she watched the shadows illuminated at the other end of the tunnel. The man ahead of her was slow and unaware of his surroundings. Valleri had no appreciable skill in sneaking around. The fact that she'd been trailing him or no less than an hour and he still hadn't noticed her yet spoke to what this person thought of his personal safety. The tunnel turned a corner and Valleri could see an opening into a larger cavern at the end. She stifled a groan. Despite her guide's lack of attention, any noise might change his lack of attention. Valleri couldn't risk that; not yet at least.

The man paused unexpectedly and Valleri almost rammed into his back. Panicked, she turned swiftly around, trying to stick close to a gap in the wall. Another woman; thin and sickly, approached the man with a concerned greeting.

"Have you seen the boss? Scales was found outside."  
"What do you mean found? It was his outdoor shift. He takes one like the rest of us."

"He was killed, you dimwit."

"Gods, what by?"

"We're not sure yet. Looked like a person."

Valleri closed her eyes. Her grip on the sabre tightened as she tried not to move. The two other people in the tunnel still made no indication that either had noticed their unwelcome company.

"As far as I'm aware he still hasn't left his spot by the waterfall." There was an unsure pause where the Valleri saw the man look around the cavern. She backed up closer into the gap before she heard him speak in quieter tones, "Do you think that someone outside knows?"

"Knows about that stupid, little fragment? Why would they? The Skinner said this place was secure after they took care of those scimitars hiding out."  
"Right, right. Besides the boss said this place was good. We," he trailed off; Valleri's palm felt slick against the leather grip of her weapon. "We should listen to the boss."

"Someone's gonna have to tell him about Scales."

"I'll do it. I was heading that way anyhow," the man shook his head, "Gee, poor Scales."

The woman muttered a quick thanks before turning back and Valleri could hear her guide sigh to himself. Valleri craned her head towards the next opening in the tunnel; several others were meandering around the main portion of the cavern. She gulped and cursed to herself. Where was Vilkas when she needed him?  
The Imperial waited for the man to exit the tunnel before peering out further. The side of the cavern closest to her was almost pitch black and empty. Many of the loiterers were distracted, including her own hapless guide. Valleri crouched close against the rock wall as she moved towards the next tunnel. She stopped when the man she was following continued towards the same exit. An idea formed in her head and she quietly sped after him.

It wasn't long before the man led Valleri to another cavern, this one much smaller. The stench of dried fish was thick in the room. Valleri tried desperately not to cough. The man stopped again when he felt Valleri grab ahold of his shoulder and slide the blade of her sabre under his chin.

"Don't move, don't speak unless spoken to or I'll pull this sword across your veins and watch you bleed out on the ground like dead pig," Valleri ordered. She felt the man straighten his back against her. She tugged the blade tighter against his neck, "What did I say?"

"Don't move and don't speak," he answered.

Valleri smirked, "Right, good man." She paused, not letting pressure off his neck. "Where's the fragment?"

"What fragment?"  
"Don't take me for a fool. You know exactly what I'm talking about."

"I'm not saying shit!" he exclaimed. Valleri answered with tighter grip around his shoulders. The man gulped again, "The boss has it locked up. He never leaves the chest alone. Takes his meals next to it and that sort of crap."

"Nice to know. Is there anyone up there with him?"  
The man began to struggle, "And why in Oblivion would I tell you that?"

Valleri elbowed him as hard as she could in the ribs, "Should I remind you who's got a sword to their neck?"  
"Fine, fine, you've made your point!" The man breathed out sharply then continued, "Sobin is the only one past here. He makes sure the boss isn't interrupted form what ever he's been busy with. He's the only one he'll trust. I told you everything! You don't have to kill me!"

Valleri cringed as pang of guilt hit her in the gut, "Fuck, you shouldn't have said that." She closed her eyes and drug the blade deep across his neck. The man made a guttural gasp for air as he fell to the ground. Valleri watched him with a frown as he twitched on the ground and tried to yell out. She waited a few minutes for the man's spams t stop before she dragged him to a dark corner of the cavern. Panicked, Valleri haphazardly dumped some of the dry fish over him and left the room.

She followed a ramp up to another landing. A single person was sitting down at a table on the upper level, watching the lazy people down below. Valleri tried her best to recompose herself before coming forward into the light.

The man, Sobin, looked over to Valleri with a suspicious glance. "Who the fuck are you?  
With out missing a beat, Valleri answered, "I was that contact the Skinner wrote about. He sent a letter to the boss stating that I was coming almost a month ago." She paused and furrowed her eyebrows in mock anger, "You were supposed to be expecting me and this is the welcome I receive?"

Sobin stood up from his seat and walked towards the Imperial, "The Skinner never sent no letter! You've gotta come up with a better story than that."

"Lie? You actually believe I'm lying?" Valleri waved her arms wildly for effect, causing Sobin to back up. "Are you telling me you never got the letter?"

"No, we didn't. You said the Skinner sent you?" Sobin crossed his arms in opposition. "Well where's your proof?"

Valleri paused for a moment, unsure of what to say. "I've, uh," Valleri stuttered as she handed her sabre to Sobin. The man inspected it closely as she continued, "That sword was given to me by the Skinner. He had it specially made as a reward for being the leader of the group that cleared out the pack up north."

"What now?"  
Valleri scoffed, "Your sanctuary is really behind now isn't it?"

Sobin stared at her through dead, tired eyes. "Well, who am I to argue with the Skinner? The boss is just down that tunnel," he spoke as he handed back Valleri's sabre.

She inserted it back into the scabbard as she spun on her heel away from Sobin, "Thanks a bunch," she muttered. The tunnel was much longer than the rest and curved back and forth over and over again. Disorientated, Valleri paused as water began to lap over her feet. She looked forward, noting the river that began to flood the tunnel. Reluctantly, Valleri began to wade further into the water.

She was soaked by the time she passed the waterfall her previous guide had mentioned. "Who is it now? Can't you see I'm busy?" she heard a scratchy voice above her say.

Valleri craned her neck upwards to see a hunched old man siting at desk on the landing. She frowned as she exited the water and started walking up. "Sobin let me in. That's fine right?"

"Well, if Sobin thought it was…" The old man trailed off as he looked over to Valleri. A look of shock was written all over his face and Valleri couldn't help but smile. "I don't know you. Why did Sobin let you in?

Valleri shook her head, "Your door guard may be dead. Someone had to tell you. And your personal serf is really daft."

"It seems so. What are you here for?" the old man muttered, face sinking.

"The fragment of Wuuthrad, nothing else."

The old man shook his head as he stood up from the desk, "Nope, you can't have it. You have to kill me to get that fragment."

Valleri shrugged, "I'd really like not too if I can help it."

"You'll have to," the old man said in a serious tone. "Are you with the Companions?"

Valleri paused, contemplating her answer. Finally, she smirked to herself, "Oblivion no! I'm a fucking linguist."

The old man's face melted into confusion, "What?"

Valleri unsheathed her sword, flourishing it wildly through the air. The old man stepped backwards as he fumbled at the sword at his hip. His pleas for pity went unheard as Valleri stalked closer. He swiped at her with his short sword in futility. Valleri finally muttered six, sharp words.

"Aedra tatava ni, Naga canva ni."

…

Valleri squinted her eyes as she spied another person further up the road. A smile formed on her lips as she recognized the tall, dark figure. Valleri rushed forward with a long stride only to meet her friend in a few minutes.

Vilkas looked down at her with an inquisitive expression. He had a black eye and Valleri couldn't help but notice the small smear of blood on his neck. The Imperial couldn't help but laugh. "What are you so chipper about?"

"Look for yourself," Valleri answered. She retrieved the fragment from a pocket and tossed it to the Nord.

Vilkas caught the small metal piece in his hands and brought it up to the sun. After rubbing his finger against the carved pattern, he looked back to Valleri next to him, "So you didn't end up running away with your tail between your legs."

Valleri shook her head and laughed, "If I recall you're the only one here with a tail." She paused to watch the exasperated look on Vilkas' face. "It was easier than you'd think."

The Nord shrugged, "Well, at least you didn't have trouble. Congrats to getting the last fragment."

"Thanks!" Valleri exclaimed, taking the fragment back from her friend. She gestured towards the large bruise on Vilkas' face, "What happened to you?"

Vilkas furrowed his eyebrows in confusion before nodding his head in realization. "You meant the black eye, didn't you?"

"I thought it would have been obvious."

Vilkas sighed and rubbed the back of neck as he followed Valleri. "I ended up getting decked pretty hard in a fistfight near Rorikstead."

Valleri clicked her tongue with dissatisfaction, "You're probably not welcome back I take it?"

"I said near, not in town. Also, I wasn't fighting the townsfolk. That's actually anti Companions, believe it or not," Vilkas retorted. He watched Valleri stifle a laugh. He looked back to the tundra in front of them, eyes focused on the horizon.

"I'm surprised Kodlak even let you out of Jorrvaskr. It's been what? Barely a week since we got back?" Valleri added. She looked over her shoulder to Vilkas with a questioning look with an eyebrow arched inquisitively.

"About," Vilkas muttered. He quickened his pace to catch up with Valleri, only to match her stride when he met her side. "Did you work things out with Kodlak?"

Valleri's posture tensed as she walked. "I'm not sure if work out would be the right term for it. We just stopped talking about the subject. I think if I don't mention it, Kodlak won't either." She looked back up to Vilkas, "Is he usually like that?"

"Sometimes. At least you're not just leeching off us. Did you make any progress on the journal?" The Nord watched Valleri squirm and try to urge herself to speak. "It's not a complete loss, is it?"

"No, not at all," Valleri paused, "It's just that it was Alastaros personal journal before this debacle."

"Is there a lot of private stuff in there you didn't expect?" he asked.

Valleri nodded her head, "Yeah. He kept a lot from Lex and I apparently. Nothing relevant, but it's still a tad emotional for me to go through. I'm not sure if I can relate it better."

Vilkas shrugged, sun glinting off his armor. "I get it. Why not just skip to where Lexius took over? You said that the handwriting switched half way through."

"That's funny! Have you seen Lex's penmanship? It's atrocious." Valleri patted Vilkas' shoulder with a grin. "I'd rather bet that Alastaros wrote something about it than go through crazy Falmeri and Lex's chicken scratch."

"If you say so," Vilkas mumbled. "Did he really write everything down in Falmeri though?"

"I think it looks like Falmeri, it's too swirly to be plain Ayleidoon. But then again, he could have just been spilling ink on the pages."

Vilkas could now see Whiterun close in the distance. He tried to keep pace with Valleri despite the urge to run towards the city. He turned back to the Imperial next to him, "You'd think that Falmeri and whatever your Ayleids spoke would be similar. They should have actually just kept it simple and have all the elves speak the same language."

"They did though, for the most part," Valleri said half to herself.

Vilkas paused to look at her, "Wait. You're not kidding, are you?"

"I'm not. It was called Aldmeris and the elves spoke it before each ethnic group split off. Ayleidoon and Altmeri are the most similar to Aldmeris, with Falmeri and old Bosmeri close behind," Valleri explained, eyes now alert, "Each language evolved on its own depending on what was needed. That's why you'll have such vast differences between modern Bosmeri and Falmeri for example."

"What about this Ayleidoon and Falmeri?"

"As far as I can tell, it's similar enough. But looking at a new alphabet and dialect is confusing after spending so many years translating only Ayleidoon. There's a learning curve," Valleri added. The enthusiasm in her eyes was gone and Vilkas felt bothered.

"Maybe you'll have to get to Markarth after all?" he joked, grinning from ear to ear.

Valleri sighed with exasperation, "Yeah, I'm not going to give up that easy, Vilkas. Though writing a letter to Aicantar wouldn't be a bad idea." The woman paused and looked forward with fascination. Vilkas tried to follow here eyes to see what was so distracting but found nothing.

"What's out there?" Vilkas finally asked.

The Imperial woman laughed out loud, "Nothing I suppose, but the way the sun was hitting the top of Drgaonsreach, it made the top of the city look like gold. I've never seen anything quite like it."

This time Vilkas stood up straight and looked over the city skylines. Valleri was right; then sun did make it look like shining gold.

…

Kodlak looked over the piece with a trained eye, scanning over each crevice carved into the blackened metal. The color was the same as the other fragments apart from the occasional smear of dirt, but that could be over looked. The hatching on the handle matched as well as the missing leg of the bear on the piece he supposed was above it.

He paused his inspection to see Valleri was still in front of him. She stood nervously, shifting her weight from foot to foot. Vilkas was next to her with a curious expression.

"How many people ended up dying for this piece?" the old warrior asked as he placed the metal fragment in a small lock box on his desk.

Valleri didn't say anything for a moment and something about her expression told him that the question was not expected. Finally, the Imperial spoke, "Only three. I tried to sneak in rather that fight my way through since I know I don't have the required muscle." She looked over to Vilkas next to her as she finished.

"You strove to avoid unnecessary bloodshed. That is commendable, Valleri." He paused and exchanged a glance with her, "Especially considering this is an authentic fragment. Congratulations, you brought us the final piece we needed." A relieved smile formed on the Imperial's face as a weight was lifted her shoulders. Kodlak could also feel the weight lift.

Vilkas, who was not as celebratory as his friends, spoke up finally, "Well, now that we have all the fragments again, what do we do now?"

"I'll ask Eorlund to piece Wuuthrad back together then the Circle will decide what do with the weapon." Kodlak looked back over to Valleri, "Until then, I believe it is a good time for a celebration here in the mead hall. What do you say, shield sister?"

Surprised, Valleri reeled back, "Who, me?"

Kodlak smiled, "Yes, you. You were instrumental in completing this task. It wouldn't be right to not have you honored at such an event."

"He's got a point," Vilkas retorted while crossing his arms. He gave Valleri an approving look.

She shrugged, "I won't say no, if you keep insisting."

Kodlak clapped in triumph and the noise resounded loudly in the tiny office, "We'll have a feast ready for the occasion two days for now. I'll hope to see the both of you there." He watched the two young ones leave his office as they talked in a quiet, happy chatter. If Kodlak didn't know any better, he secretly hoped something would happen at the feast.


	30. Chapter 30

Wine and mead flowed like a river and main hall of Jorrvaskr was loud as the people chattered around the music in the main hall of Jorrvaskr. Dancing couples took up much of the indoor training area at the far end of the room. Tilma had spent the entire day cooking up sweet meats and light fluffy pastries for occasion that seemed to never cease coming from the makeshift kitchen in the other room.

Vilkas watched as the people around him continued to drink and dance. The mug in front of him was near empty. The Nord took a bottle on the table and gave it a sniff. The fruity smell was unpalatable but he poured it in the mug regardless.

He was in the middle of taking a swig of the drink when he spotted Valleri across the room. She was talking in quiet tones with Ysolda, leaning against the window in a yellow silk dress. She smiled widely when Ysolda gestured grandly.

A hand fell onto his shoulder, causing Vilkas to look over at the person leaning on him. He furrowed his eyebrows in exasperation as Farkas leaned down closer next to his face.

Vilkas sighed as he pushed his brother away, "How much have you had to drink?"

Farkas shrugged. "Not a lot," he said loudly in Vilkas' ear. Farkas looked back to the two women across the room and grinned when his eyes landed on Ysolda. "Should I ask her to dance? I'm gonna ask her to dance."

"What are you waiting for then?"

"I'll call over Valleri too, that way you'll have someone to talk or something," Farkas said, giving Vilkas a playful nudge on the shoulder. Vilkas cringed to himself as he took another sip of the drink in front of him.

"No, please don't. I'll be fine."

Farkas waved his brother off, "You don't know what you want." Farkas stood up straight as he called for Ysolda across the room. Vilkas watched the red head look over to them and gesture to herself. Farkas quickly nodded with a grin. Ysolda tugged on the Imperial's sleeve and walked towards them at the table.

Ysolda wrapped her arms around Farkas' neck and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. "Did something happen, love?"

"Not really, but I did need something."

The red headed woman grimaced in concern as she pulled away from Farkas, "Is it a dance?"

"Yeah," the Nord admitted sheepishly, "It was."

Ysolda chuckled to herself as she grabbed onto Farkas' hands, "I was honestly wondering what was taking you so long!" The Nord woman began to lead Farkas to the dance floor. Vilkas watched her give Valleri a wink as she left.

Vilkas didn't say anything as Valleri sunk into a seat next to him. He glanced only scowled as Valleri grabbed the half empty bottle Vilkas had poured his drink from and take a chug from it. She laughed as she set the bottle down, "Is something wrong?"

"I'm not sure, is there?" Vilkas retorted.

Valleri shook her head with a lopsided grin, "Nothing is wrong then! Of course, I'm probably a little bit tipsy at this point.

Vilkas shook his head and reached over to ruffle Valleri's hair. "I'm not surprised."

"Yeah," Valleri mumbled. The Imperial looked over to the dance floor, eyes scanning the couples. Her grin turned soft and genuine when she found Farkas and Ysolda. "They look happy enough."

"Aye, they do." Vilkas added. His head began to feel a bit fuzzy and Vilkas figured he should stop drinking for the time being. He pushed the mug away from him. "Has Kodlak already made his toast?"

Valleri nodded, "Not yet. Hopefully it will be nothing like Balgruuf's though." She reached for the mug and finished off Vilkas' drink.

Vilkas laughed to himself as he recalled the Saturnalia feast some months before. He shook his head as he tried to recompose himself. He took another look at his brother only to lose him in the crowd. The song ended abruptly as the two of them watched Kodlak climb up on the table at the head of the room and clear his throat with a cough. The room went eerily silent as everyone looked in his general direction

"I can see many of you with us tonight are already deep in your cups, so I'll keep this short." The old warrior looked around the room with a smirk, brandishing his own goblet in the air with a flourish. "I would like announce that all of the fragments of our ancestral symbol, wielded by great Ysgramor, have been collected and returned to the mead hall. I say we drink to the prosperous future of those friends of the Companions!" Kodlak yelled something incomprehensible and leapt off the table. There was a deafening roar as the crowd went back to the feast.

Vilkas took a piece of the grilled meat as Farkas and Ysolda appeared from the crowd. Ysolda grimaced as she looked over towards Valleri, "I thought he was going to mention you in his toast."

"Why though? It was a good toast, short and to the point." Valleri said.

Ysolda crossed her arms, "I thought you found the last fragment. That deserves credit, right?"

"I happen to agree with Valleri on this," Vilkas mumbled to himself. The Imperial woman nodded her head in acknowledgment.

The red headed Nord rolled her eyes and waved Vilkas away with a free hand, "But still, you deserve some sort of credit. It's only fair."

Valleri tilted her head with lazy glance, "It's not the credit I want. However, I do appreciate the thought." Valleri grabbed ahold of the now almost empty bottle and took another swig of the alcohol. Vilkas grimaced as he watched Valleri finish off the bottle.

"Are you just going to drink, Valleri?" Ysolda asked. The Imperial woman shrugged but didn't say anything further. Exasperated, Ysolda gestured towards the dance floor, "Are you going to go out there tonight?"

"Probably not tonight," Valleri paused when Ysolda gave her a pleading look. Valleri threw up her hands with a laugh, "I certainly can't dance by myself, now can I? Will you dance with me, red?"

Valleri laughed as Farkas came up behind Ysolda and slid his arms around her waist. He gave Valleri a betrayed look. Ysolda laughed before giving him another kiss on the forehead, "Looks like I'm already taken. But, uh," Ysolda fumbled before slapping Vilkas on the back, "What about this guy? He's free right?"

Vilkas stared up at Ysolda with narrowed eyes, "Yeah, I don't dance." He looked over to Valleri nervously, who only shrugged dismissively.

"Not even just one time? Look at Valleri, she's desperate to get out there!" Ysolda protested. Vilkas sighed in annoyance when Valleri mouthed a quiet apology. He stopped paying attention when Ysolda continued to pester him.

Valleri stood up from her chair and grabbed a hold of Ysolda's hand with a chuckle, "Look, Vil's not having any of it. I'm dragging you down with me." The two men watched as Valleri drug Ysolda away.

Vilkas leaned his arm on Farkas as he sat in Valleri's seat. With a blank expression, Vilkas looked over to his brother, "Looks like your dance partner was stolen."

…

Valleri didn't think that the music could get any louder, but like as many things in Skyrim, the volume was pushed to an extreme the Imperial wasn't used to. The Imperial attempted to lead her taller friend away from the group of bards at the end of room. Anything to be able to hear herself through the din of music.

Ysolda couldn't help but laugh as the Imperial twirled her around the dance floor. She glanced over to the twins at the table for a moment before almost crushing Valleri's foot. "I am so sorry about that."

"About what?" Valleri asked, genuinely confused.

"Oh, never mind. Your face is all red and I can barely see your freckles," Ysolda laughed. The Nord woman poked her friend's cheek, making Valleri reel back a bit at the touch. "It's a shame that Vilkas won't join us. I don't think I've seen him dance before."

Valleri tilted her head in Vilkas' direction, the man was still talking to his brother. "I don't think you can really fault him for that. Dancing isn't for everyone. There's no need to force him into it." Valleri didn't say anything as she watched the grin Ysolda's face grow. Valleri felt her face flush further as she stuttered out, "What?"

Ysolda gave a quick shake of her head before turning away from Valleri's suspicious glare. "It's nothing."

"It's not nothing! Otherwise you'd have never mentioned it," the Imperial woman whined. "If you don't tell me, I'm just gonna go crazy thinking about it all night."

"Fine, fine," the Nord relented. She gestured towards the twins, "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you have a thing for Vilkas over there."

Valleri blanched in horror, eyes wide and mouth agape. "I don't though! What gave that idea?" Valleri stammered.

Ysolda chuckled to herself, "I dunno. You defend his crazy notions without a thought and always take his side."

"I do not. Vilkas' ideas aren't half bad and he gives me as much shit as he does anyone else," Valleri explained.

"I wasn't done yet, Valleri. You're close with him and he talks about you a lot when you're gone. I've known Vilkas for only a few years, but I've never seen him get so attached to another person apart from Kodlak and Farkas."

The shock on Valleri's expression turned serious, "Just because I'm close with Vilkas doesn't mean that's the nature of our relationship."

"What about the other day in my bathroom, then? You said you saw him nude before."

"That doesn't mean anything!" Valleri exclaimed, almost yelling. Ysolda looked back to her in shock.

The Nord woman bit her lip in thought before looking back up. Valleri frowned with a hint of shame. "Valleri, I'm going to say something you're most likely not going to like." The woman paused while she waited for her friend to look up. Ysolda locked eyes with Valleri and tried to smile softly, "You keep saying that such grand gestures don't mean anything. If everything means nothing, then I think you'd have to rethink the definition of what intimacy means."

Valleri stopped moving all together, looking back at the table. Vilkas was already gone. Uncomfortable, Valleri unclasped her hand from Ysolda's waist and left. Without much thought, Valleri made her way across the room and down the stairs leading to the bunk rooms. No one should be in there.

…

Valleri leaned against of the support beam and tried to even out her breathing. Why had what Ysolda said so maddening? Who was she to tell Valleri what a relationship meant to her? Valleri scowled as she rubbed her face in frustration.

"You're loud, you know?"

Valleri looked up to see Vilaks coming down the hall way from the Circle bunk rooms. He was carrying a neatly folded blanket in his arms. The man paused when he saw the annoyed expression on Valleri's face. "Did something happen?"

Valleri glanced over to him, eyes landing on the ugly yellow bruise covering his left eye. The usual smear of charcoal had been washed away, making it easier to his silvery grey eyes. Valleri turned away quickly before running her hand through her hair.

"No, nothing happened. I'm just…" the woman trailed off, not sure how to finish her sentence.

Vilkas approached her, "You're just cooling off or it's too loud?"

Valleri perked up, "Yeah, that's it." She shook her head after, eyes downturned, "It's really not, it's just too hard to explain."

"That's never stopped you before," Vilkas muttered, "But if you really don't want to talk, I won't pry."

The Nord started walking past her again. Valleri reached out and grabbed his arm before Vilkas looked back at her with a confused expression. Suddenly aware of she did, Valleri let go and looked back at the ground, "Sorry about that."

The look on Vilkas' face softened, "You're fine." He turned back to face her with a quick turn and Valleri could feel herself tense up. "You want some company?"

"Isn't someone waiting for that?" Valleri asked as she gestured towards the blanket in his arms.

Vilkas looked down at his arms and shrugged, "To be honest it was for me, so there isn't anyone who'd miss me if I were gone. Maybe Farkas but he's got Ysolda now.

Valleri noticed the melancholy glint in her friend's eyes. "Are you lonely, Vilkas?" She watched Vilkas step back away from her. He looked called out, almost ashamed. The atmosphere in the room turned heavy and Valleri could only feel guilt towards her question.

Unexpectedly, Vilkas tossed the blanket above Valleri's head like a shawl. He pulled the corners tight around her and said, "If you asked me that two days before I met you, I'd probably have taken that as a challenge." He paused for a moment, stepping back again. "But now, I think I am a bit lonely."

Pulling the blanket back from her eyes, Valleri felt her chest tighten up. "I think I feel that too," Valleri answered. She looked back to Vilkas, noting the genuine look in his eyes. His movements were slow, but Vilkas warped an arm around Valleri's waist and puled her closer. Tired, the Imperial hugged, him close, burying her face into the crook of his neck.

"Apologies."

Vilkas brought Valleri's face up and he exchanged a glance with her. He cupped one of her cheeks in his free hand and kissed her. Valleri's eyes went wide as their lips brushed together. Her body tensed as he pulled back.

Vilkas' gaze didn't move from her. Valleri couldn't think straight. Before she knew it, she brought his face down hers and kissed him back. The Nord pulled her as closes as he could and she felt the blanket fall off her head. Vilkas' hand moved from her cheek and up along her scar, finally ended on the back of her head. His fingers wove around her hair; the feeling of brushing through her wavy locks made her hum silently with pleasure.

Her heart began to pound against her chest and she found herself fighting against the urge to not stop to breathe. Valleri felt her knees buckle beneath her and the two of them melted to the floor. Finally, Vilkas moved his mouth downwards and began to kiss her neck, but in only an instant, Valleri spoke in a low, breathy voice, 'Vilkas?" She nudged him when he didn't answer, "Vilkas, what are we doing?"

Valleri felt chills when her friend looked up to face her. When Vilkas didn't say anything for a moment Valleri's heart began to race again. The Nord looked away, face flushed, "I'm not even sure."

Hesitantly, Valleri pulled her hand back from Vilkas' face. "Is this right?"

"It feels right, so does it matter?"

Valleri felt a sharp pain in her chest. She scanned the ground, anything to avoid Vilkas' eyes. She bit her lip anxiously. "It does. It matters more than anything. Vilkas," she paused, "Do you feel anything for me?"

Valleri finally locked eyes with Vilkas again. She searched his face any sort of answer and again, she could only see sad confusion in his expression. He was reluctant to answer, but he tried, "I have to be honest with myself." Vilkas stopped short when he heard footsteps descending down that stairs.

Neither of them moved until Valleri could see the familiar figure of Kodlak pausing on the stairs. Valleri felt suddenly vulnerable under the blanket. She pulled the fabric over her head and attempted to hide away.

"Did I interrupt something?"

Taking her cue, Valleri got up and walked past Vilkas still on the floor. She gave the old warrior a betrayed glance before going up the stairs. Kodlak looked back to Vilkas with a confused expression. The younger man breathed out and didn't move. Finally, when Vilkas turned to Kodlak and muttered, "Not at all."


	31. Chapter 31

Valleri glared at the yellowed, scorched page in front of her, attempting to will it into submission. Her eyes burned from the lack of sleep and the remnants of tears she wiped away earlier. The Imperial felt as though everything was blocked up; ugly feelings previously buried deep began to resurface. Each time she opened the tattered journal, Valleri had to emotionally prepare herself for the worst.

She'd gone through Alastaros' spare journals before, but their contents were suddenly so tame compared to what she was reading now.

Leaning back in her chair, Valleri sighed and rubbed her hand over her eyes. The pressure made her blink reflexively and her blurry vision turned clear once again. Momentarily refreshed, Valleri took a look out the window towards her right. Valleri cursed to herself in a quiet, bitter tone. The sun was already peaking over the wall in the training yard.

Valleri really stayed up all night trying to glean any relevant information from the twice damned book.

Defeated, she laid her head on the table and shut her eyes. Her arms and chest felt heavy and any attempt to sit up was met with disappointment. Valleri lazily flipped the journal closed and slid across the table away from her. She took one more look out the window only get blinded by the light. Valleri groaned again. The only respite she could get was when she laid down with her face flat against the hard wood.

It took Valleri a moment to notice the cold, wet feeling against the side of her face. Confused, Valleri lifted herself up from the table, listening to the clicking noise in her lower spine and ribs. She rubbed some of the mysterious liquid away from her skin and hair only to blanch in horror when she saw the black staining the tips of her fingers. Looking down, Valleri saw that she tipped her half open ink bottle when she laid down.

Black ink spread across the table, seeping into a table cloth at Valleri's left. The Imperial woman attempted to wipe it away with a spare towel. With most of the excess gone, Valleri could see that the old wood making up the table had seeped up quite a bit of the ink. There was an irregular patch of black stain now on the table. There was no way that was coming out now.

Valleri rubbed her eyes in frustration when she heard foot steps coming up from behind her. With out a doubt the ink was smeared across the left side of her face and was all in her hair.

Farkas gave her confused expression when the Nord took a seat next to the empty ink bottle. Valleri shrugged and shook her head, "It's been a long night."

"And the ink?" Farkas asked, gesturing towards his own cheek.

"Don't ask."

Farkas sighed and rested his head on a free arm. "Did you sleep?"

"Nope!" Valleri exclaimed, grinning like a fool. "Why in the world are you up anyhow?"

"Nothing important. Just didn't feel like sleeping," Farkas said as he rubbed the black patch on the table. "Vilkas should be up soon."

"Grand, absolutely grand," the Imperial muttered.

Farkas narrowed his eyes in confusion. "You're not mad at him or something, are you?"

Valleri glanced at her friend from the side of her eye. She sighed and frowned, "No, I'm not mad. I'm just frustrated. And tired. And I have no fucking idea what this says!" Valleri rubbed her temples before scrunching her eyes together in defeat. "Why didn't Lexius just write what he was going to say in Cyrodiilic?"

"Maybe because he didn't want anyone to find out what he was writing?"

Valleri turned her head to glare at Farkas and the Nord leaned back in his seat with a look of regret. In an instant her expression softened, "I'm sorry Farkas. I've got a lot on my plate and I didn't mean to snap at you."

The Nord nodded understandingly, "I know, it happens." He paused for a moment, looking at the journal. "Did you ever get a letter back from your friend in Markarth?"

"Oh, the letter I sent Aicantar about the translation?" Valleri asked, eyes now wide and alert. She shook her head, "Not yet. Of course, there's always the chance he never got it."

The two didn't say anything further as Valleri absent mindedly rubbed the stain with a finger. She didn't bother to turn around when she heard another pair of footsteps coming up behind her and Farkas. Relief washed over here when she heard Kodlak answer the door. The old warrior chatted with a courier before closing the door with a slam.

Kodlak looked over the two at the table with mock concern, "You're the last two people I would have expected to be up this early."

Kodlak sat at the table next to Farkas and started to go through the bunch of letters he'd taken from the courier. A wide grin grew on Farkas' face as the younger man spoke, "It happens sometimes. And actually, Valleri said she didn't even sleep!"

Kodlak hummed in response, only to look over at the Imperial with confusion a moment later. Valleri shrugged and went back to staring at the table. "He's isn't joking, is he?" Kodlak asked Valleri, hopeful expression on his face.

Valleri shook her head, "Not at all."

"Oh," Kodlak murmured before handing Valleri a small envelope. "This is for you, by the way."

The Imperial looked at the front side of the envelope and scowled when she couldn't read the messy handwriting, "Is this what I think it is?"

"Probably. The young man at the door said it was from Markarth."

Valleri stood up from her chair with a start, tired grin all over her face. She didn't say anything as she went downstairs to most likely read the letter. Farkas watched Kodlak sigh a final time.

"Hey, Kodlak?"

"Yes?"

"Did something happen with Valleri and Vil? They've been avoiding each other like the plague."

The old warrior looked towards where Valleri disappeared. "That's not my place to say. If something did happen though, I beleive I may have been party to causing it."

…

Valleri didn't even realize she nodded off until a heavy hand jostled her awake. Her eyes shot open suddenly, leaving her disorientated. Breathing deeply, Valleri grabbed the edge of the table instinctively in front of her. Her eyes landed on the opened letter laying haphazardly on the surface and she remembered where she was.

The Imperial frowned when she pushed Vilkas' hand away from her shoulder. "I'm awake, I'm awake."

"You sure?"

Valleri shot the Nord a accusing glance, "Yeah, I was just resting my eyes." Her expression softened as she folded up Aicantar's letter. She watched him as his face melted into a confused stare. "Is something wrong?"

"You've got ink on your face and all in your hair," Vilkas pointed out as he gestured towards the black splotch.

"Yeah, I'm very aware of that. I'll clean it up later," Valleri retorted. Her voice was sharper than she meant it to be, but she couldn't bring herself to apologize. She breathed out before continuing, "Was there something you needed?"

Vilkas didn't answer immediately, content enough to watch her for the moment. He looked over towards Kodlak's office, "He wanted to see us."

Valleri followed Vilkas' eyes and sighed. She looked back up to Vilkas, "Did he say what for?"

"Nope, nothing," Vilkas answered in monotone voice.

He stepped away from the chair and followed Valleri to the back office. She shot him an unsure glance when she noticed they were walking on opposite sides of the hall. It felt unnatural to the Imperial after being in close proximity to him for a such a long time.

Though after what happened, Valleri wasn't sure of anything anymore.

Kodlak didn't look up from what he was writing when he waved the two of them in. Valleri, still tired, leaned against the back wall and willed herself to stay awake. "You're both here. Good," Kodlak finally said, turning around in his seat to look at his company. There was a small relieved smile on his face.

Vilkas crossed his arms, "What did you need us for?"

Kodlak paused, looking back and forth between Vilkas and Valleri. He breathed out, "I need you two to run an errand for me. There's a book in Solitude I've been waiting for and I just got word that it's come in."

Vilkas scowled, "You want us to go halfway across the province for a book? Is this official business?"

"No, it's not. I'm asking as a favor."

Valleri tilted her head in confusion, "Why the both of us though? One person will do since it's as if we're going into a cave." She glanced over to Vilkas momentarily, expression turning sour. "Besides, I'm busy," she added, gesturing with a free hand.

Vilkas turned back, "With what?"

"I have some business in Markarth I have to take care of."

"I take it this is personal business?" Kodlak asked. Reluctantly, Valleri nodded her head. The old warrior sighed, "I should have known. Regardless, Markarth is on the way; you can just do both on this trip."

Valleri exchanged an uneasy glance with Vilkas before continuing, "Why not just ask someone else to go?"

"Valleri, this book has certain implications about the beast blood. I would love to send someone else, but since this isn't something I can trust with just anyone." A nervous grin replaced the soft smile on his face as Valleri just stared at him blankly, "Think of it like a short sabbatical, a trip of sorts."

"Fine," Valleri finally answered.

Kodlak looked over to the younger Nord, "Vilkas?"

"We'll be gone for about a month." He stared down at the ground, "I don't see why not. We'll leave tomorrow morning."

Valleri watched as Vilkas left the room and turned back to Kodlak. She shook her head, "I'm not liking where this is going. Not one bit."

"It'll be fine. Besides, you have been cooped up in Jorrvaskr for some time. Getting out might do you two some good."

"Listen please," Valleri retorted, "I know what you saw and I don't know what you're making of it. But I have absolutely no idea what's going on with Vilkas."

Kodlak laughed heartily, "Why not just ask him? Chances are this could just be a misunderstanding."

"It probably is," Valleri muttered half to herself. She turned and started to leave, "I'm going back to bed. There's no point in being tired all day." She waved a quick to good bye to Kodlak and ambled back to the shared bunkroom at the end of the hall. She knew he was right and unsure guilt began to eat her up as she flopped on the bed.

This trip was bound to be exciting, whether she wanted it to be or not.

…

"Madam Ambassador, there's a visitor waiting for you in your office. "

The Thalmor ambassador paused and gave the guard a confused glance, "Oh? I wasn't aware I had an appointment today. You let them in?"

"No, ma'am. He just sort of let himself in," the guard stammered, "I asked that he wait in the lobby but he barged right on into the room."

Elenwen could feel a headache coming on. She closed her eyes and mumbled, "Of all the days for him to show up." She glanced back at the guard and frowned, "Did this visitor have burn scars all over his face?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"By the eight. You're new here I take it?"

"Yes, ma'am," the guard stammered loudly, making Elenwen wince.

Sighing, she crossed her arms. "Next time you see this particular visitor, take him to the dungeon, lock him in a cell, and I'll see to his business there. I can't have all these distractions."

"Yes, ma'am."

Elenwen didn't say anything further as she entered the room in front of her. The ambassador began to rub her temples in frustration as she saw the younger Altmer sitting lazily in her chair, feet propped up on the desk separating them.

He looked up at her with a wide grin, "Ah, now I get to see you." He threw up his arms dramatically, "I've been waiting no less than half an hour. Half an hour!"

"Get out of my chair, Cyrenial," Elenwen ordered. She watched him slide the chair backwards then move around to the other side of the desk and take a seat there. The ambassador wanted to sigh in defeat. She wouldn't let him have the satisfaction though. "Now what are you doing here?"

"Getting my mail. The old coots in Alinor have seen fit to just my correspondence here and your lackey doesn't have the patience to send a courier to find me. It's very frustrating."

Elenwen groaned internally; Cyrenial didn't know anything about frustrating. She pinched the bridge of her nose, "I specifically asked that Ondolemar send what ever information he finds here for safe keeping."

"That's rude."

"Rude or not," Elenwen's tone turned bitter, "I would personally like to make sure that you are still alive and doing your job. I am sure our commanding officers would appreciate that as well."

Cyrenial narrowed his yes suspiciously, "You love reading my mail, don't you? Especially since I asked Ondolemar specifically to me only."

"Please don't treat my Justiciars like your personal assistants."

Cyrenial shrugged, "Fine. What did he say?"

A small smile grew on the ambassador's lips as she went around to the other side of the desk and retrieved a small envelope from inside. Cyrenial watched with anticipation as Elenwen pulled the letter out of the envelope. Cyrenial looked at her with furrowed eyebrows, "Well?"

"Ondolemar says that the apprentice you've been keeping tabs on in Markarth has been getting letters from a woman by the name of Valleri. She was the woman who knew Alastaros, correct?"

"Yes, she was. Still is actually."

Elenwen glared at the younger Altmer, "I thought she told you to stop tailing her. Can you even still rely on anything she'll tell you?"

"There are ways to get her to tell me where Alastaros is." Cyrenial paused, staring back at Elenwen. He stood up straight, no longer sitting on her desk, "Why are you so concerned though? I don't take orders from you."

"I'm aware that we have the same rank. I'm very aware of that, Cyrenial." Elenwen put the letter down as she too stood up from her chair, "But do not think for a moment that I won't report your blunders back Alinor. I know they have something on you, and though I don't know what that may be, I'll find out."

Cyrenial's previously annoyed expression turned into a deep scowl, "They probably have something on you too, Elenwen. Otherwise they never would have shipped you off to this backwards country."

Elenwen breathed out sharply, "I suggest you make your way Markarth, otherwise you won't be in this backwards country any longer."

Cyrenial muttered something as he left the room, leaving Elenwen all by herself in the office. She could still feel the stiffness in her joints. The ambassador crossed the room and poured her self a tall glass of brandy only to down it in one go. She wiped the excess liquid from her lips. There were no words Elenwen could use to describe how much she hated Cyrenial.


	32. Chapter 32

Valleri wrapped her journal up in her spare pair of socks before placing the bundle in the bottom of her pack. Alastaros' journal was still on the table next to her, waiting to be wrapped up as well. The pack itself was relatively empty and Valleri was sure that Vilkas would say something when he inevitably found out.

Athis came up behind her and picked up the tattered journal. He held his disinterested expression as he flipped through the pages. Valleri glanced at him from the side of her eyes, hands no longer in the pack. "Anything interesting in there?"

"Not at all," Athis mumbled to himself, still scanning the pages, "I can barely read the thing. The hand writing is so bad it almost physically hurts."

The Imperial woman sighed and took the journal from the Dunmer next to her. "I can relate unfortunately." She wrapped it up in spare tunic and placed it on top of the socks. Snapping the top of the pack closed, Valleri took a seat at the table.

"You're just waiting for Vilkas now?"

"Yep."

Athis took the seat opposite of the Imperial and propped his head on his arms. "I'm surprised you're even going to be honest. I figured the Harbinger would only send one person." The Dunmer began to gesture wildly, "What in Oblivion would he even send you for, huh?"

Valleri shrugged, "You'll have to ask him that. I just need to go to Markarth. Are you jealous?"

"Not at all," Athis muttered. "So basically, you're only tagging along then?"

"Well, no. Kodlak asked me to go to Solitude." She paused, "I'd figured I'd go since I have business outside of Whiterun anyhow and I'm not keen on getting kicked out of the Companions right now."

Athis narrowed his eyes questioningly, "Wait, is that a thing? Does this have anything with the fight you had with the Harbinger?"

Valleri blanched in horror, "What fight?" she paused again, biting the inside of her lip in annoyance. Taking a deep breath in, Valleri tried to explain, "If you're talking about the disagreement I had with Kodlak a few weeks ago, I hate to disappoint but that was just a difference in opinion. Nothing else."

The two went quiet as Valleri tried not to slouch back in the chair. She could hear two pairs of footsteps behind her quite suddenly and turned around. Both Vilkas and Kodlak were talking as they made their way to the table. Anxiety ramping up, Valleri tried to see if Kodlak caught what she said, despite the fact that Kodlak hadn't even been around. Her chest tightened when she saw the tired look on the old man's face.

Vilkas shrugged his pack onto the floor and approached the table. He gave the Imperial woman an awkward glance, "I tried looking for you downstairs."

The Imperial woman tried to muster a smile but to no avail. "I figured I'd wait for you up here since you'd have to come up this way."

Vilkas shook his head in annoyance when Athis spoke up, "Hey, Kodlak, where are you sending these two anyhow?"

"They're going to Solitude to pick up a book," Kodlak bellowed. Athis glanced at Valleri and Vilkas in suspicion. Valleri looked away trying to avoid any questions. Kodlak gave Vilkas a hard pat on the shoulder and grinned. The younger Nord gave him a sharp glare that the old warrior ignored. "I almost forgot to give you this," he said before producing a nicely folded letter from a pocket and held up in the air.

Valleri furrowed her eyebrows when Vilkas took hold of the paper, "What is that?"

"Letter of intent. The officials at the East Empire Company are bound to need that when you pick up the book, otherwise you'll have hard time getting them to give it to you."

"Oh right," Valleri muttered, "I remember some people complaining about policies like that when picking up shipments in Anvil."

All three of her friends looked over to Valleri before Athis spoke up, "I keep forgetting Anvil's on the water."

"Yep, it sure is," Valleri murmured sarcastically. She could see a small grin on Vilkas' face as he tried to look away. Something about seeing him try not to lose his composure made her feel less anxious.

Kodlak cleared his throat as he gave Vilkas another pat on the back. "It's about time you two are on your way. You'll want to start early so you can make it that good campsite tonight." Vilkas nodded his head in agreement as he picked his bag up again. Valleri lazily got out of her seat and followed Vilkas to the door.

The younger Nord turned around before leaving, "We'll see you in about a month then. I'll try sending a letter when we get your book."

Valleri could see Kodlak sigh in relief. He smiled again, "Much appreciated, Vilkas. Stay safe." Vilkas muttered something Valleri couldn't hear and went outside. Valleri was about to follow when Kodlak called her name, "You stay safe too. Don't do anything drastic to translate your book so you can tell me how it goes when you get back."

The Imperial woman nodded her head before closing the door. She wanted to say something to reassure the old man, but couldn't think of anything. What was the point in saying something that had already been said?

Valleri felt a bit better when she saw Vilkas waiting for her at the bottom of the stairs leading to the plaza. He didn't say anything as she caught up to him. The two of them continued down to the market place without so much as a word. Still Valleri still couldn't help but tense up again as they drew nearer to the main gate leading to the tundra outside.

She stopped suddenly and took a deep breath. Vilkas turned his head to look at her, frown apparent on his face. "You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." Valleri paused, biting her lip, "Vilkas, can we talk?"

"I don't see why not, though make it quick. We really should be leaving."

Valleri looked at him before continuing hoping to gauge more of his reaction. She felt herself wither a bit when she was only met with a blank expression. She sighed, "It's about what happened at the feast last week."

Vilkas' blank stare turned nervous, "Oh, right, that."

"Yeah, why did that happen?" Vilkas didn't say anything for a moment as Valleri held her breath. "It just an impulsive mistake, right?" Valleri continued. The Imperial watched him as pain flashed through Vilkas' eyes before his face turned to stone. She gulped.

"Is that what you think happened?" he asked.

"Well," Valleri paused, mouth going dry as she tried to think, "We were drunk and then Farkas and Ysolda kept making those comments." Valleri stopped speaking when she exchanged an uneasy glance with Vilkas again.

"I was the one to make that mistake, Valleri. Remember?" Vilkas questioned.

Valleri furrowed her eyebrows, "I kissed you back." Valleri didn't say anything as she watched the Nord's face fall, a hint of red now on his cheeks. "Vilkas, I'm sorry. You're my best friend here and I don't want to lose that."

Vilkas didn't say anything as he walked closer to her and took hold of her shoulders. He was hesitant at first, but spoke in clear voice, "I think I can say I feel similarly. After what you did for me in Falkreath, I don't want to lose you either. You're an oddly strong person I can trust with my life. You can't find people like that easily."

Valleri felt a weight lift from her shoulders as she looked up to Vilkas with a grinned. "Are we good then? Everything's back to normal?"

The man smirked as he let her go and continued to the gate. "As normal as it ever has been!"

Valleri still felt the uneasiness in the pit of her stomach as she ran to follow him. If she were honest though, Valleri was glad she brought it up. Kodlak was right, what happened was just a misunderstanding. Everything was fine.

…

Valleri nearly stopped in her tracks as she caught a glimpse of the harbor at the bottom of the hill below. The first thing she saw were the tall masts of the larger ships peaking over the side. Her heart began to beat with eager anticipation as she tried to get a better look. Without thinking, the smile on her face grew into a grin as the Imperial woman finally saw the ships and boats sitting docked in the harbor.

Vilkas paused when he realized his traveling companion was distracted. He sighed with exasperation, though he wasn't even the slightest bit annoyed. If Vilkas was honest with himself, he was already betting on this happening. He walked back and grabbed onto her wrist and Valleri's head snapped back to him with wide eyes.

"Sorry about that, I'm coming."

The Nord shook his head, "It's fine. We'll be going down there later. You'll have a better look then."

Valleri sighed and nodded her head in agreement. Vilkas' grip on her wrist lightened and moved down to her hand. Valleri didn't protest and instead took comfort in the small gesture as he led her to the blue gates of Solitude.

She was glad to see them after so long, despite their trip north being shorter than she anticipated. The two Companions were able to catch a carriage at Rorikstead that offered to take them to Dragon Bridge. Vilkas had the happiest look on his face when he realized they wouldn't be walking the entire way. The walk from Dragon Bridge to Solitude hadn't been horrible either but did take almost two days. The sun was already beginning to set as they finally made it to the gates.

The Imperial was still struck with amazed awe when she saw the inside of the city. Everything was made up of dark polished stone, cracked by long vines of green leaves. Dull, weathered banners were hung lazily from building to building while the lamps were already lit.

Vilkas caught another look of Valleri's amazement and tried not grimace. "Here, I'm gonna go get a room. We can grab the book tomorrow."

Valleri looked back at him, "Oh, yeah. I forgot we needed that." She pulled her hand back from Vilkas and looked around.

The Nord sighed, "How about you take a look around? I can get the room myself and meet you there in a few hours."

"Are you sure?"

"I've been here before," Vilkas shrugged. "You have fun, I'll be at the inn." Valleri rolled her eyes as he walked away. She sighed and walked off in the opposite direction. Who was she to have another person ruin her fun?

The stalls in the markets were already starting to pack up when she got around to that part of the city. It still much busier than the market in Whiterun despite it being closing time. Valleri meandered slowly, still taking in the sight of the busy square. It was when she got to the fruit vendor that Valleri stopped.

Valleri leaned onto the table and tried to get the vendor's attention. The older woman sighed when she came up to the stand. Valleri almost reeled back when the woman scowled at her. "I can come back," Valleri stuttered.

The older woman waved Valleri off, "No, it's fine. I didn't expect anyone else to stop by. You'll have to be my last customer though."

Valleri allowed herself to breathe again. "Oh thanks. I was wondering if you had any oranges?"

The woman gave her a confused stare, "An orange?" She paused and looked down, "I didn't think I'd hear someone asking for one those."

Valleri shot her a hopeful look, "Do you have one?"

"I typically don't order them, since they don't keep too well. But," the woman paused as she turned to look in a crate behind the stall. She continued, "I do have one. Someone must have accidentally tossed one in with my apples. Didn't bother to put it out since half of Solitude would think it's some sort of rotten potato."

"That's unfortunate. I haven't had an orange in months," Valleri said. The woman came back with the fragrant fruit and handed it to the awestruck Imperial. Valleri started to go through her small bag for some coins when the vendor stopped her.

"You don't have to pay since I wanted to get rid of it anyways. Just go ahead and take it," the vendor said with a wave of her hand.

Valleri nodded her head and waited for the vendor to turn around before putting some of the golden coins on the wooden table. She hurried away before the vendor could catch her in the act. Valleri walked up the to the second story of the city, past the forge into the training yard. Legionnaires were packing away their bows and swords while the captain stood around still giving orders. Valleri stuck close to the wall as she passed by. Finally, Valleri made it to the stairs leading up to the parapets and took them two at a time. Valleri could feel a breeze as she walked towards the edge of the walkway.

She stopped when she could see the ocean spread out before the walls of the city. Scanning the scenery in front of her, Valleri once again caught sight of the boats in the harbor while the Sea of Ghosts opened up at her left. The sun was making its final descent into the ocean, turning the sky a bright orange. The sea in front of her was mixed green, the whitecaps turning pink in the last vestiges of sunlight. Valleri didn't have to wait long before purple melted into red as the night sky descended.

Valleri felt cold all of a sudden as she pulled her shawl closer around her shoulders. She wasn't lonely, was she?

She looked over the harbor one more time as she got ready to leave. The harbor was empty now and eerily dark. Valleri looked farther into the distance, trying to find any sort of light house. When she couldn't see any structure on the shore line, Valleri sighed and shrugged.

She had to show the orange to Vilkas before she ate the entire thing herself.

…

"You could have just you didn't like it."

Vilkas was visibly nervous as he and Valleri walked down the steps to the docks below. The Imperial could only laugh when he continued to speak. He looked down at the steps exasperatedly, "You hyped it up so much I couldn't say anything."

Valleri tried to stop laughing, rubbing tears out of her eyes, "I know I shouldn't be laughing. I just find the whole thing hilarious."

"I appreciate the thought regardless," Vilkas muttered half to himself. He glanced over to Valleri, "Are they usually that bitter though?"

She shook her head, "Not always. Oranges are always best if you let them ripen up on the tree before picking them. That way the juices get all sweet." Valleri tilted her head, "Maybe I'll get you to try the next one I come across."

"What if I'm away?"

"I'll have it all to myself then," Valleri said. Suddenly, the Imperial gave him a serious look. "Do you have Kodlak's letter?"

Vilkas felt around in his pocket, finally procuring the envelope for Valleri to see. "Exactly where I put it this morning. We should be fine." He paused as they stepped onto the dock proper. "Turn left here," the Nord muttered as he gestured towards their turn.

Valleri unclasped her shawl and placed it over her arm as she spoke, "Just because you have the papers doesn't mean the authorities will let you do something." The Imperial shrugged when Vilkas shot her a questioning glance. "Do you remember the story I told you about Lex and I getting lost in the sewers?"

"Yeah?"

"We may have been finding another way in because the librarian may have kicked us out despite being there for reason separate from our business with Alastaros."

Vilkas shook his head and sighed. "Valleri, I'm not even surprised," he said as he walked up to the counter. The woman working the counter took notice of them immediately and offered a chipper greeting. He tried not to look annoyed as he spoke to the woman, "I'm here for a book for Kodlak Whitemane. We got word a week and a half ago that it came in the last shipment."

A look of realization washed over the woman's face, "You're too young to be Kodlak. I'm sure he told you that we only give books from the Imperial Library to those who ordered them directly. Since the company had to get a permit to even ship it, we have to take precautions it doesn't fall into the wrong hands."

Vilkas sighed; it wasn't as though he was asking for an Elder Scroll. He took the letter out of his pocket and handed it to the woman working the desk. "He did, that's why he sent me up with a letter of intent. His signature is at the bottom."

The woman took a moment to scan the document before glancing back to Vilkas. "Well he did mention an intense looking man picking up the book. I assume that's you?" Vilkas looked at her with a frown before shaking his head. The woman nodded affirmatively, "I'll be right back with the book if you don't mind waiting."

Vilkas glanced at his side to see that Valleri had wandered off to the other side of the dock, probably to watch the boats coming into the harbor. He still didn't understand her fascination with them. Though he supposed that she was used to living right next to a busy harbor. Being in the tundra for so long must have been quite a change.

He could see her smiling towards the sun and Vilkas could almost feel himself start to melt.

In only a moment, Vilkas watched the soft smile be replaced with a look of shock and horror as he heard a horrible groaning noise followed by a sickening cracking. Without thinking, Vilkas ran over only to see a large ship collide into a rocky shore on the opposite side of the bank. Wood splintered as the rocks tore into the hull of the ship. He could hear the screams and yells of the sailors as they scrambled to salvage the situation.

"Stendarr's mercy, how did that happen?" Vilkas heard the woman exclaim. She rushed to the two Companions watching the disaster.

Valleri glanced upwards toward the lighthouse, "That explains the lack of light last night."

"I'm going to go get help," the woman yelled as she hastily shoved the book into Vilkas' hands. He turned to watch her run up the stairs before looking back at Valleri. The Imperial's face was locked into an uneasy, stony expression. Vilkas couldn't tell what she was thinking.

He went back to looking at the disaster across the water. "I don't think I've ever seen a shipwreck before." Vilkas said, voice quiet.

"This is the third one I've seen," Valleri paused, "It never gets any easier to watch." She finally looked up to Vilkas, pulling at his arm, "Do you mind if we go? I don't think there's anything we can do to help."

He nodded his head and slid the book into his pack, "Yeah, we can." He led Valleri up the stairs to solid ground. Taking one look back, Vilkas noticed that the light house was strangely dark. Wasn't the lighthouse supposed to be lit up?


	33. Chapter 33

The initial excitement Valleri felt the first time she saw the stony exterior of Markarth wasn't there when she saw the gates for the second time. Valleri certainly felt relief but the small, nagging worry that Aicantar wouldn't be able to help her was rearing its ugly head for the hundredth time since leaving Solitude. The journal was becoming a constant weight in the bottom of her bag. Only now it was wrapped in smellier socks instead of the fresh ones. Not that it would further damage the pages anyhow.

Vilkas watched her carefully as they made their way further down the road. There was worry in his eyes as Valleri followed him from behind. "You're expecting me to fall on my ass, aren't you?" she asked, eyeing him from the side.

"It's happened before." He shrugged and continued, "I can count the times I've seen you slip on the ice, Imperial. Most of those times have been in the Reach."

"Right. And if I remember correctly, I promised to throw sand in your eyes if you ever mentioned it again," Valleri jested with a smirk.

"You had your chance in Solitude," Vilkas said in a monotone voice.

Valleri furrowed her eyebrows, "Vilkas, that wasn't a real beach. It was all rocky. You can't throw rocks at people."

He turned to look at her with a look of sarcastic, innocent confusion, "What do you mean you can't throw rocks at people?"

The Imperial woman stared wide eyed at the ground for a moment, processing what her friend said. "Gods, what the fuck are you doing in spare time?" Valleri asked, suddenly concerned.

"Just the usual stuff," Vilkas muttered to himself. The two walked in relative silence as they approached the gate. Before going in, Vilkas turned back to Valleri, "You realize that was a joke, right?"

The Imperial woman thought about her answer for a moment, keeping her expression blank. Finally, Valleri nodded her head, "Yeah, I know what sarcasm is. You don't have to clarify."

"Just making sure. Most of the idiots at Jorrvaskr would get confused."

"I can see that happening," Valleri finished as she held the gate open for Vilkas. The market to their right was louder than she expected as a crowd gathered around the central plaza. Valleri looked over momentarily before catching a glimpse of the pool of blood on the ground. "Well, isn't this absolutely wonderful?"

"Wait, what?" Vilkas asked before peering over Valleri. His face melted with disappointment. "Every single time I come to this city," Vilkas trailed off. He continued to talk to himself, though Valleri couldn't hear a single word clearly.

Valleri grabbed onto Vilkas' free hand and pulled him away from the crowd. The inn was empty since most of the patrons gathered outside to see what the commotion was. An old woman was left sweeping the floor with a sour look on her face. Valleri let go of Vilkas' hand as they approached her.

The woman took notice of them quickly and placed her hands on her hips when the two Companions were within speaking distance. "I thought I finally had time to myself to get some work done done. But no. You two had to show up." She paused, standing her broom against the wall. "Now what do you want?"

"We just wanted to know where Calcelmo's laboratory is," Valleri said, eyes narrowed in mild annoyance.

"Calcelmo? You mean that Altmer that's gonna overrun the city with whatever those dwarves left behind?"

"Is this the general sentiment around town? That you really shouldn't be messing with the ruin?" Vilkas questioned. Valleri could see a hint of smugness on his face when he crossed his arms.

"Any person with a shred of common sense would think."

The big Nord glanced down to Valleri with a smirk. She shook her head with exasperation. Valleri elbowed him in the side, "Now's not time for that conversation." She looked back to the inn keeper with a bitter smile, "Listen, I just want to know where Calcelmo is and maybe get a room. Can you help me with that?"

The woman stepped back and gave her unsure glance. "I can help you with the room if you need one so bad, but I only know that the mage lives in Understone Keep."

Valleri looked back to Vilkas, who only shrugged. She gave the innkeeper a final smile, "Thanks."

"What about the room?" Vilkas asked as he exited the inn.

The imperial laughed, "We'll be back for it later. I want to talk to Aicantar first."

Vilkas didn't say anything further as the two of them climbed the stairs to the upper portion of the city. The crowd below them had already dispersed, no longer clogging up the small market near the gate. Valleri could now see the dead body of a young man laying prone on the ground with more guards around him. The hike up to the keep was steeper than she imagined. Vilkas had no problem with the climb however.

The exterior of the keep was unassuming and Valleri almost missed it. Having the entrance to an important public building behind a waterfall seemed to be a bad idea to the Imperial. Though the White Gold Tower was out for everyone to see and not even fifty years ago it was almost destroyed for what could have been the hundredth time. Valleri didn't exactly know how many times the Imperial City had been under siege. So, there was that.

The inside was less appealing. The old Dwemer ruins looked gaudy to the Imperial. It was nothing like cold white marble of Ayleid ruins Valleri was used to. The keep didn't have the rustic coziness of Dragonsreach either. Beyond that, the keep was just plain messy. Rubble lined the edges of the wall and dust floated freely in the air of the ruins.

If she wasn't careful, Valleri was sure she could choke on the air.

She watched Vilkas almost trip on a spare piece of stone. The Nord only gave her an exasperated shrug, "Every single time I come in here. I swear they never clean this place."

"Makes me wonder if they haven't renovated since the Dwemer disappeared," Valleri quipped dryly.

After asking for directions, the two made their way up to a cavernous room on the left side of the keep. Valleri could see the exterior of the ruin Markarth was built on carved into the back wall.

Valleri and Vilkas paused when they caught sight of a familiar purple clad Altmer. He waved at them to come down to his work station with a wide grin. Valleri felt a bit relieved walking down to the work station. Aicantar got up from his seat to greet his friends, taking Valleri's hands into his own, "I didn't expect you to get here so early!" He paused looking at the Nord behind Valleri, "I also didn't expect Vilkas to tag along either."

"Is something wrong with that?" Vilkas asked, sounding more offended that he probably meant too. Valleri elbowed him in the side again.

The Altmer laughed, "Well, no. It's just that when we parted last, you said you'd rather die than come back to Markarth."

"Don't give him any credit, Aicantar." Valleri paused, taking Aicantar by the shoulders, "I'm sorry about coming too soon; but I just don't have time to waste."

The elf's face grew grim. "This is about that necklace, isn't it?" He nodded his head with understanding when Valleri didn't say anything. "What happened to not wanting to lose people?"

Valleri bit her lip nervously, "It'd take a bit to explain and it's a really crazy story." She looked back up to Vilkas. He shrugged again making Valleri shake her head with fond exasperation.

"It can't be that complicated."

"It really is," Vilkas spoke up. Aicantar rolled his eyes, eliciting a groan from the Nord. "As it turns out, Alastaros and Lexius are alive," Vilkas blurted out. Valleri turned back to her friend with in shock. He crossed his arms with a look of smug satisfaction.

Aicantar gave him an equally shocked expression. "Lex is alive? Where is he?"

Valleri put her hands up in defense, "We don't know. We just know they're alive."

"And the journal?"

"We're assuming they're going after the necklace. It's the only lead I have," Valleri explained.

Aicantar sighed and rubbed the side of his face. He looked at Valleri with a serious expression. "So, you have to the relic to find them." Valleri nodded affirmatively. "I assume that you have the journal with you? Follow me."

The two Companions followed Aicantar down to a lower work station. The tables were covered in stacks of papers and small bits of Dwemer metal hung about. The area was dark like the rest of the room, despite the oil lamps lining the walls. The smell of burnt oil and dust filled the air and if Valleri wasn't choking already, she certainly was now.

Aicantar pushed a precarious stack of papers and books to the side when he sat down at one of the tables. He held his hand out and waited for Valleri to bring out the journal. She watched as he handled the journal with care, flipping through the pages with a feather light touch.

Aicantar looked up momentarily with another groan before looking back down at the table. Curious, Valleri looked over her shoulder. A shorter, purple clad Altmer was walking down steps to the work area. He was wearing a distinctly stern looking expression on his face.

"Aicantar, I thought you were sorting through those papers we found?" the old Altmer asked. Obviously, he knew Aicantar wasn't sorting through anything, but just wanted to make him feel guilty for taking a break. Valleri tried not scowl

The younger Altmer sighed with frustration. "No, I got caught up with a favor for a few friends."

"Friends? Since when do you have friends?"

"Uncle, this is Valleri and Vilkas," the Altmer said, gesturing to the two standing awkwardly between the two elves.

Calcelmo regarded Vilkas quickly, unimpressed with the Nord. However, he paused when his eyes landed on the Imperial woman. His expression turned dark when Valleri glanced back at him. "I know who you are, girl."

"And who might I be?" Valleri countered. She could feel her heart beat quicken and the tension in the small works space turned palpable.

"Valleri Alastarim. You two need to leave."

"Wait, what?" Vilkas spoke up from the back.

"It's a well-known fact that Valleri is Alastaros' apprentice. She took his name for her own even." Calcelmo began to wave them away with his hand dismissively. He pushed past Valleri to meet his nephew still sitting at the desk, "Alastaros is research thief with no integrity to speak of. I will not work with someone who associates themselves with such a lout."

Valleri bit her lip before finally speaking, trying her best to sound civil, "We're not here on Alastaros' business. This is personal."

"You people mixed personal and business so much until you couldn't differentiate between the two! Leave me and my work be."

"No, this is ridiculous. Our business isn't even with you."

"And what did you need my nephew to do for you anyhow? The last time one of Alastaros' lackeys came here, they ran off with his research notes and Aicantar's been floundering since."

"That wasn't even me! Besides, if you gave Aicantar the credit he deserved for spending all that time learning how to translate Falmeri." Valleri stopped momentarily, stepping closer to the old Altmer, "No! If you gave all of your research assistants the credit they deserved, maybe you wouldn't have so many problems!"

"How dare you? You don't have the right to tell me what to do with my laboratory's research!"

"I don't even know why I'm talking to you! I just want Aicantar to translate this damn journal!" Valleri snapped, face contorted in rageful frustration. Vilkas almost panicked when he saw the Imperial try to go for a slap at the Calcelmo's face. He pulled her back sharply by the shoulders and didn't release her, even after Valleri seemed to calm down.

Aicantar stood up from his seat, "Will you two shut up? Of course, I'm gonna translate the journal. It's the only way to find Lexius."

Calcelmo didn't say anything. Instead, he stared hard at the ground, rubbing his eyes in contemplative exasperation. Valleri shook her arm loose from Vilkas' grasp and didn't break her glare away from the old Altmer. He sighed, "What do you mean find Lexius?"

"Both Lexius and Alastaros have been missing for several months. Valleri found their journal and have been trying to track them down."

Calcelmo looked between the Nord and his nephew for a moment before his eyes finally landed on Valleri. He sighed again, "That can't be right. Even if you're telling the truth, why would you need Aicantar to read the damn journal?"

"Because Lexius wrote the stupid thing in Falmeri," Valleri explained. "I don't know Falmeri, but your nephew does. Why are you being so obstinate about this?"

The Altmer rolled his eyes, "I've known Alastaros much longer than you have, Valleri. He's crafty and I've seen him try to pull similar stunts to get what he wants. I just can't find it myself to believe you." He looked back to his nephew, "I'm not going to let you translate anything for these people. You already have work to do."

Aicantar's eyes grew wide as Calcelmo began to walk away. Vilkas unexpectedly began to follow him, dropping his pack behind Valleri. "Listen, we can't exactly leave until Aicantar can look through that journal. There's got to be something we can do for you to convince you otherwise."

Calcelmo looked down at Vilkas with a blank expression. "What was your name?"

"Vilkas."

"And what do you do, Vilkas?"

"I'm with the Companions."

"I should have guessed. I assume you're good in fight?" Calcelmo asked, voice softer.

"I'm the Master at Arms at Jorrvaskr, if that means anything."

The Altmer shook his head, "It means nothing to me. How about this though; we'll make a trade. You do something for me and I'll give Aicantar enough time to translate Valleri's journal."

The Nord looked back to Valleri and gave her a questioning look. The woman gave a quick nod of her head. "What do we have to do?"

"I sent a team of people into the Nchuand-Zel excavation site. It's been two weeks since they were supposed to report back and we haven't had enough people to go in there and check up on them."

"You want us to find them then?" Vilkas finished with an upward tilt of his eyebrow.

"Exactly. If you come back tomorrow morning, I'll give you the key to the excavation and Aicantar can start," Calcelmo offered. "This better be worth it."

The trio watched the bitter, old Altmer walk away. Aicantar breathed out as he put his head in his hands. Valleri and Vilkas looked towards him as he mumbled to himself in frustration. He looked up suddenly, eyes flaming, "Why did you say anything?"

Valleri tried to smile reassuringly, "What do you mean?"

"If you kept quiet, I could have just translated the journal in my free time," Aicantar explained, gesturing to the hallway where Calcelmo disappeared.

"Well, he was going to find out one of his oldest friends was nearly dead anyways. At least Calcelmo knows what's going on instead of finding out later." Valleri looked back to Vilkas for agreement.

"It didn't seem like they were friends, Val," the Nord muttered. "besides he didn't even believe you."

"Regardless," Aicantar paused momentarily, "now you two are stuck doing favors for Calcelmo and he's probably going to dock my pay for the next two weeks. This is great, just great."

Valleri and Vilkas exchanged a concerned look with each other. "What's wrong with the excavation site?

"What isn't?" Aicantar whined, "The place is pretty much cursed! After the spiders were taken care of, Calcelmo sent a small team into Nchuand-Zel with the instructions to check things out. They went in about a month ago and we expected them to only take about a week. Obviously, they never came back. We don't even know what's in there"

Vilkas shrugged, "Right, and Valleri and I haven't been through worse." He gave Aicantar a nudge on the shoulder, eliciting a nervous smile from the elf. "We'll be in and out of there before you know it."

"I hope."

Vilkas turned around and began to walk back up the steps. Valleri gave Aicantar a final reassuring look, giving him a pat on the shoulder. The Altmer didn't say anything when she left to follow Vilkas out of the cavernous room. The Imperial couldn't help but feel apprehensive as she left, only to have the feeling explained when she looked up from the ground in the foyer.

Her blood went cold when she saw him across the room talking to Calcelmo.

The familiar burn scars on the elf's face caught the dull candlelight like fire, turning the scars bright red. The smug grin on Cyrenial's face made her sick. He was talking in low tones with Calcelmo. Calcelmo didn't seem to notice that he should be worried about the more than likely nefarious nature of the Thalmor's intentions.

Valleri pulled on Vilkas' sleeve to stop him. His face dropped when he saw Cyrenial across the room. "Fuck, we better leave."

The Nord started to leave, but Valleri couldn't move. She watched him end his conversation with Calcelmo, smiling all the while. He turned his head towards her, smile disappearing. Chills ran down Valleri's spine when Cyrenial smirked knowingly and disappeared further into the keep.

"Valleri!"

The Imperial woman flinched before following Vilkas out the door. She made sure to stick close to Vilkas' side as they went back to the inn.


	34. Chapter 34

Vilkas didn't think much of anything when he saw the outside façade of Understone Keep. It was still too early in the morning for him to care. Even when he wasn't sleeping on a literal rock, the Nord was well aware of how difficult he was in the early morning. The cold spray from the falling water in front of the doors hit his bare face like pinpricks. He hoped that the cold water would have woken him up, but he couldn't have been more wrong.

Valleri yawned behind him. The Imperial woman was all but hibernating when he woke up that morning. Even when he got up from the shared bed, she didn't seem to notice. It took Vilkas nearly ten minutes to shake her awake and even then, then Valleri didn't seem to be entirely present either.

The guards let them into the keep with out too much fuss. Valleri nearly tripped on loose stone in the floor. She looked back at Vilkas, tired eyes suddenly wide. At least she was awake now.

Both Companions made their way to the work station near the bridge leading to the ruins. Aicantar was already there, joined by his uncle and another Altmer. Vilkas didn't have to see his face to know he wanted to toss the Altmer off the side of one the cliffs outside of the city. Valleri stuck close to him when she caught sight of Cyrenial.

He nudged her arm and spoke in a low tone, "Hey, you're gonna be all right, yeah?"

Valleri took a deep breath in. "Yeah, I'll be fine. Just hold me back if looks like I'm going to do anything to him though, will you?"

"I'll see if I can try, but no promises."

Aicantar looked up from the papers on the work space when Valleri and Vilkas approached. There was a slight smile on his face when Valleri waved. Calcelmo looked over his shoulder with a scowl before turning back to Cyrenial. The hopeful expression on both Aicantar and Valleri's faces disappeared when the old Altmer refused to acknowledge the newcomers.

Vilkas could see the young assistant place a hand on Valleri's shoulder, "I'm sure he doesn't mean it." He paused and regarded his uncle, "But, he does. He definitely does."

"What are we waiting for exactly?" the Nord asked. He looked around the cavernous room, eyes landing on the massive bronze doors behind the work station. Mounted sculptures of long dead automatons watched the room like buzzards. Nothing about the ruins made Vilkas feel comfortable.

Calcelmo turned around to face the newcomers, "I came to see you two off so that our deal could be carried out properly."

"Right…" Valleri muttered half to herself. Vilkas sighed, trying his hardest not to look annoyed. Cyrenial moved to Calcelmo's side. The burn scars on his face were more obvious than he remembered.

"I can take the journal now, Valleri," Aicantar said with a smile. He waited patiently as the Imperial woman unwrapped the socks covering the book. Vilkas' eyes didn't move from Cyrenial. The Thalmor agent was watching Valleri's every move and Vilkas didn't like that.

Valleri tensed up as Aicantar flipped through the pages again, "Please be careful with it. It's already badly damaged and I can't lose it."

"Feather light, then. Shame I can't just toss it into the canal back there, huh?" the Altmer laughed. The Nord couldn't help but chuckle at the joke. Aicantar's attempt to lighten the mood was lost on most of the gathering, but there had to be credit for trying.

Calcelmo gave Valleri a sharp look before glancing between her and Vilkas. He gestured at Cyrenial, "I should tell you now hat this man will be joining you two for the expedition. His name is Cyrenial and he came to me last night asking about Falmeri translations as well."

"Stop right there, you old coot," Valleri blurted out. She waved her arms wildly, "We didn't agree on this!"

"I'm well aware of that, Valleri. Keep in mind this doesn't change what we decided yesterday," Calcelmo explained. Valleri crossed her arms in a huff, glaring daggers at Calcelmo.

Vilkas shook his head and put a hand on Valleri's shoulder in attempt to keep her grounded. "This doesn't change things?" he asked.

"Not at all. I can vouch for him as well. Shortly after Aicantar came back from his sojourn with you, Cyrenial payed us a visit. He's a private scholar from Alinor interested in the history of the Falmer."

"Then why is he coming with us?" Valleri asked. She shrugged off Vilkas' hand, taking a step closer to Calcelmo and Cyrenial.

The aged Altmer sighed, "He wants to see a project we've been working on that could be helpful for figuring out what's in your journal."

Valleri looked between Calcelmo and Cyrenial for a moment. She breathed in sharply, "Fine. Fine, it'll probably be good to have an extra person with us and a magic user could prove useful."

A smile came to the Thalmor's face when he offered the Imperial a hand shake. Reluctantly, Valleri took it. Cyrenial spoke with a casually bitter tone, "I'm glad I'll have the chance to work with you, Valleri. I've heard many things about you in Cyrodiil, though nothing about how uncouth you could be. I'll expect an apology later."

Vilkas watched Valleri freeze. All color left her face when her gaze turned steely. Her mouth turned into a thin line as Valleri didn't break eye contact with Cyrenial. The Thalmor could see that she was about to lose it. Quickly, Vilkas tore her away, taking care to keep a hand on her arm, and gave Cyrenial a pat on the shoulder. Vilkas smirked, "We haven't heard anything about you, though. It's only natural to be wary of those you don't know. First meetings can leave a lasting impression."

Cyrenial's smug grin turned sour when Vilkas stepped back. He brushed off his shoulder where Vilkas touched him. The Altmer was obviously uncomfortable. His eyes snapped back to Vilkas in a moment, "Hopefully Valleri will know how to control her Nordic bear. We wouldn't want an accident to happen in the excavation site."

"Wolf, actually," Vilkas muttered. Valleri cracked a small grin when she heard him.

Aicantar sighed and laughed nervously. He gave Valleri a nudge backwards up the stairs, "Well, it's about time you guys head off. Time tends to fly in those ruins and we wouldn't want you guys to get disoriented!"

His uncle gave him a confused look before stopping the group. "Valleri, I'm assuming you're going to take lead here, so I'll leave the key with you."  
Valleri quickly placed the key in a spare pocket, patting it closed with a hand. "Thanks. We'll be in there a day or two depending on what's going on. But when we come back you better honor your end of the bargain."

Calcelmo scrunched up his nose. "You underestimate me, girl. I've been called bitter and unfair, but no one has ever called me a cheat. That word was meant for Alastaros." Valleri laughed at Calcelmo's quip as she followed Vilkas up the stairs. "One more thing before you leave, Valleri?"

"Yeah?"

"If Alastaros is alive like you say, I'd like to speak with him once more. There are things I need to clear up. I hope his journal can tell you where to find your necklace so you can find him as well."

Valleri's eyes grew to the size of dinner plates as she froze in place. Vilkas could hear her stop breathing momentarily and he could almost see the pure panic in her face. In a moment, she began to shake. Cyrenial's smile grew vicious as he placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Alastaros, he says? I'd heard he died."

…

Cyrenial's grip on her shoulder tightened. Everything but his voice went quiet. The goose bumps multiplied like fruit flies and the same line of thought repeated itself in Valleri's head.

He knows.

Now everything she told him when he cornered her at Nightgate was outed as a bald face lie. This was the last place that should have come out. The Thalmor presence in Markarth was heavier here than any other place she'd been in Skyrim. He could easily have her arrested. Vilkas could be arrested as an accomplice. Then everything would be ruined.

The Nord slapped Cyrenial's hand away from Valleri's shoulder. "Leave her alone, okay? You two can sort out what ever shit you have later. Until then, we have a job to do." Vikas' voice was sharper than usual, making his usual catch phrase sound so unfamiliar. Valleri turned towards him with a thankful expression. He nodded his head in acknowledgment and waited for her to start leading again.

The Thalmor agent wore a frown all the way to the door and walked behind the two like a shadow. Valleri tried not to think about him too much. Vilkas was able to open the bronze doors without too much effort. He handed the key back to her unceremoniously as he held the door open.

When he moved forward, the door closed behind them with a slam. Cyrenial flinched, eyes wide. Watching him being startled by a door made Valleri feel better. At least she was sure that there was a way to make the Thalmor unsure of himself.

"Aicantar mentioned they got rid of the spiders, right?"

Valleri looked back at Vilkas behind her with furrowed eyebrows. "I think. Otherwise how'd those other researchers get farther in?"

Vilkas shrugged, "We really should have asked for more details about what this place is like."

"I thought you were used to going into old crypts with almost no idea what's in there," Valleri joked. She paused and waited for her companions to catch up to her before starting into the side passage. Dirt had been dug away to reveal another chamber at the end. Tools and lamps were left abandoned, lining the edges of the tunnel.

"Are you scared, bear?" Cyrenial asked from behind them.

Vilkas looked back and glared at the Altmer. "Listen, if you're going to call me a bear, you're not going to last long with us. We don't know what's in here for sure, so its easy to pass off another accident."

Cyrenial smirked, "You wouldn't actually kill me. Even you're not that daft."

Valleri watched the two of them stare at each other, not saying anything. Vilkas' glare was suddenly replaced with a joking smirk. He laughed before leaving, "You're right, I'm not an idiot. But I know first hand how painful a broken leg can be."

Cyrenial scowled as Valleri turned away as well. The chamber was filled with more excavation equipment and Valleri could see a smaller pile of dead spiders in a corner behind some wooden paneling. She gestured towards the rotting pile, getting Vilkas' attention.

"Aicantar was right then," Vilkas whispered to himself. He exchanged a look with Valleri who only nodded affirmatively.

Cyrenial crossed his arms, "You sound almost too pleased for a person that kills for a living."

Valleri watched the hopeful expression melt off Vilkas' face. He breathed out sharply before turning around to face the Altmer. He spoke calmly, but Valleri could hear a sharp edge in the tone of his voice, "Just because I'm with the Companions doesn't mean I enjoy killing for the sake of it. I enjoy a good brawl, but no one enjoys taking the life of another with no good reason." He paused and stepped closer to Cyrenial. "I'd assume it's the same for the Thalmor."

Valleri watched Vilkas' back for a moment while the two of them didn't break their stare. Cyrenial's expression was nearly blank but the Imperial was sure that he was livid. From the few times she'd been with Cyrenial, he'd tried to present himself as a smooth, all-knowing Altmer. She'd doubted his persona before, but seeing Vilkas throw him off made Valleri almost pity him.

She nudged Vilkas' arm to get his attention. "We should go. We don't know how long it's going take us to find the expedition team."

The Nord muttered something Valleri couldn't hear and turned back to the next tunnel. Cyrenial followed him at a distance. He was still prickly and didn't say anything as he pushed past Valleri. The woman frowned as she continued after them. Slowing to a steady pace, Valleri looked around her. The tunnel walls were covered in thick, sticky webbing and the Imperial made sure to keep her arms close to her side. There was no telling how long it would take to get a person out should they get eaten up by the webs.

The Nord was cutting through some more of the webbing that blocked the tunnel's exit while Cyrenial stood behind him. Vilkas was too busy to look over when Valleri approached. The webs were getting tangled around the blade of his knife. Cyrenial acknowledged her with a glance before going back to watching Vilkas.

"Fresh spider webs?" Valleri questioned.

Vilkas sighed as he took a spare stick and spread the opening wide so the others could walk through. He nodded as Valleri walked through. "We should be careful. The spiders are probably back," Vilkas warned as he waited patiently for Cyrenial.

"That doesn't bode well for the expedition team," Valleri said, stepping into the middle of the massive chamber they now found themselves in. she took a wide look around, noting the brass pipes leading to another door at the back of the room. Her eyes caught sight of a lump on the platform near the door.

Vilkas must have caught sight of it too. He gestured over to it before going up to the platform. Valleri went to follow him, only to pause halfway up the stairs to watch him take a closer look. The corpse of a man in legion armor was sprawled out on the stony floor. The Imperial woman could barely see the two puncture wounds in his back.

The Nord turned back to Valleri and shook his head. Valleri could feel her stomach dropped, "That's a shame. It looks like he was trying to get away from whatever was in the next part of the ruins."

"It didn't go well either," Vilkas paused, getting a closer look at what killed the man. "It must have been a spider. He's bone dry; not much blood left in him."

Valleri rubbed her temples, "I don't need all the details, Vi." She reluctantly made her way to the body to get a closer look, "I wouldn't expect to find any of the team alive at this point."

The two of them looked back at Cyrenial, who shrugged. "I have no say in what you plan to do. I'm only here to follow up on what happens."

Valleri exchanged an annoyed glance with Vilkas before kneeling down to turn the body over onto the man's back. The body was stiff and heavy, but with enough force, Valleri was able to flip him over with a thud. His face was contorted into a fearful that made Valleri shiver.

That's when Valleri heard a clattering noise reverberate around the chamber. She looked up to see that Cyrenial had kicked a stone absentmindedly. The stone hit one of the brass pipes and caused the noise. The Altmer looked over to Valleri and Vilkas with mild concern.

Then all Valleri could hear was silence.

Cyrenial looked up behind him. His eyes went wide as he backed up to the bottom of the platform. Valleri could just barely see the tips of the spindly legs from the large web on the ceiling. Her heart began to beat faster and faster as the monster began to descend from its hiding spot. She took a quick look at Cyrenial below her. The expression on his face was mixed with stony rage and absolute terror as he tensed up. All of the golden color in his face was washed to an unnatural ashen color.

Vilkas gave her a quick look before sprinting down the stairs. He haphazardly pushed Cyrenial backwards as he took his sword from his back. The spider hit the ground with a thud. It reared up and waved its front legs in the air menacingly before hissing at Vilkas.

The Nord yelled as he charged at it. He brought his great sword down across the spider's eyes in a single fluid motion. He paused, stepping back against the platform to see the spider crawl back. Once again, it hissed in pain. It bobbed up and down before bring its spindly legs down on the floor in an attempt to trap Vilkas against the wall. The Nord ran as fast as he could against the side of the platform towards the stairs.

"Get that fucking door open!"

Valleri didn't hesitate and drug Cyrenial behind her. She fumbled in her pocket for the key as Vilkas finally took a defensive stage between them and the spider. It was only a few moments before the spider was almost over the edge of the platform. Valleri could hear it coming closer as she tried to unlock the door. The palms of her hands were sweaty as she attempted to unlock the door with no avail. Cyrenial and Vilkas were yelling behind her, panic obvious in their voices.

Vilkas made one more slash as the spider clambered to the top of the platform. Its hissing protests sounded more like a pained human scream as it went backwards off the platform. Valleri finally heard a click and flung the heavy brass door open for the others to run in. She could still the spindly legs of the spider poking above the side of the platform.

Without another thought, Valleri shut the door with a slam and fell back wards onto the stony floor with the others, trying desperately to catch her breath.


	35. Chapter 35

Everything went dark when the door slammed shut in front of her and Valleri's knees buckled underneath her. She found herself falling over onto Vilkas, who was already trying to get up from the ground. The woman's weight made Vilkas fall again. Valleri landed almost flat on her back and didn't move until her eyes began to adjust to the lack of light.

"Everyone's okay?" Vilkas asked as he pulled his leg from underneath his Imperial friend. Cyrenial was already up against the wall, brushing the dust away from his robes. Valleri took a deep breath in when Vilkas offered her a hand. "We need to continue forward."

Taking his hand, Valleri scowled downwards, "Right." She looked over to the Altmer, "Cyrenial?" You ready?"

"I suppose I'll have to be." Cyrenial brushed away some fly away hairs before following the others. Valleri once again took the lead as they continued. The ruin was quiet apart form whatever machinery survived the centuries of rust and cobwebs. The low hum was new to Valleri; the Ayleids didn't rely on any clockwork machines to do their bidding. Welkynd stones sometimes made a twinkling sound but they were never this loud.

"Hey, Vilkas?"

The Nord looked over his shoulder, "Yeah?"

"I can't hear a damn thing in this place."

He nodded and took the lead. Cyrenial followed closely at Valleri's side. Valleri held her breath when she was finally noticed change in light at the end of the corridor. It wasn't far off and she was sure there was a larger cavern ahead of them. Vilkas paused and held his hand up when they stood on the cusp of the lit cavern.

The Nord stood close to the wall, gesturing to a bridge in front of them. Valleri squinted her eyes to get a better look through the gloom. She felt her stomach drop when she made out the long spindly form in the distance. Valleri cursed under her breath.

Cyrenial stood behind them, squinting as well, "It's not one of those Dwemer machines is it?"

"Falmer," Vilkas muttered, shaking his head. He glanced down at Valleri, "We should have figured this would happen."

The Imperial's eyes didn't move from the strange creature in front of them. "Do you see any more in there?"

"You just sort of have to assume in a place like this."

"Fuck." Valleri looked into the next cavernous room again before turning to glance at her companions. "Sneaking in doesn't seem all that possible with the three of us. You got a bow or something?"

Vilkas shook his head, "Not at all. Cyrenial, can you help us out here?"

"Perhaps," the Altmer paused, checking his finger nails for dirt, "Though, as soon as I fire off a spell, the Falmer will swarm us. Again, that's just an educated guess based off my own abilities." There was a collective groan as Cyrenial finished.

"Wait here!" Valleri muttered half to herself before running down the bridge. Vilkas and Cyrenial stared at her in disbelief as they watched the Imperial. Valleri slowed down as she approached, sticking close to a pillar that separated her from the Falmer. In a fluid moment, Valleri grabbed the Falmer from behind and drag her dagger across its neck. It made an unearthly shriek as Valleri let the Falmer drop to the ground.

She kicked it down into the fog below as she waved Vilkas and Cyrenial over. Valleri looked over the side when she heard a splashing noise. The growls and grunts could be heard from below and she could feel herself tense up for a moment. The others stood still until she was sure the creatures below went back to what ever they were doing.

Valleri breathed again when she turned back to them, "We need to go. There's a door over there. It'll probably head down."

Vilkas and Valleri were already beginning towards the door when Cyrenial stopped them. "Are we even sure we have to go down?"

Valleri paused and glanced between her companions. "Where else do we have to go?" she shrugged. Cyrenial didn't say anything as he looked down and followed Valleri to the door.

The brass colored door opened with squeak. Valleri cringed as she held the door open, waiting for Vilkas and Cyrenial to fall closer to the wall. Her surroundings were dark again apart from oil lamps carved into the walls at regular intervals. They followed the hall down to a larger room. Two more Falmer were perched on the edge of the walkway, looking down to a lower floor.

Valleri gave Vilkas a wordless nod before turning back to Cyrenial and telling him to wait. After making sure that the Altmer got the idea, the she and Vilkas didn't bother to hide themselves as they charged the two Falmer. The Imperial's arm burned as the Falmer's jagged blade caught her unexpectedly. There was a sneer on her face as she kicked the Falmer off the side of the walkway. It screamed before Valleri heard a snap when it hit the bottom. The Falmer was still muttering after it's fall and Valleri's stomach churned.

She didn't bother to look around her before going down the stairs. There were no oil lamps, making the Imperial woman go slow as she descended. Only the noises of the dying Falmer were loud enough to let Valleri know where she was going. Valleri could hear heart pounding against her chest as she got closer to the Falmer.

It quieted when Valleri knelt down at its side. The silence and darkness around them were eerie and Valleri could feel a cold chill grip her back as she stared at it. The Falmer's face was twisted in pain, and somehow the desperation it felt was most obvious as the thing struggled to breath. Whatever color was present in its already pale, placid skin was gone. Valleri almost pitied it but couldn't bring herself to feel much when she finally killed it.

The expression on its face didn't change as the Falmer finally died. Somehow though, Valleri hoped that it was an easy passing.

"Val!"

The woman stood from her crouching position to glance upwards. Vilkas and Cyrenial looking down at her with concern. Valleri breathed out sharply and looked down at the Falmer. "I'm fine. There's another passage way down here."

"Your arm is bleeding," Cyrenial pointed out when the two men made their way down the stairs. Vilkas gave the dead Falmer a quick glance before looking around.

Valleri tired to laugh it off, "I'll take care of it later. We've got more important things to do." She started walking off without another word. Cyrenial gave the larger Nord a questioning glance before Vilkas shook his head exasperation.

Valleri's eyes were once again adjusting to the darkness when they came to the end of the next hall way. She couldn't help but pause when she took sight of the tall, withered tree growing in a planter in the middle of the room. This time electric lights hummed around her, highlighting the twisted bark of the tree. Its leaves were pale and shriveled. How it was still alive was beyond her.

Cyrenial and Vilkas came up behind and stopped when the too saw the tree. Valleri pulled her eyes away and took another look around the room. It was much more opulently decorated with smaller rooms running off the main foyer.

Valleri went around the side of the tree to one of the back rooms only to find blood covering most of the wall. Strangely enough there was no body anywhere in sight. Valleri followed the blood to a table at the other end of the room. There was no reluctance as Valleri sifted through the bloodied accoutrements on the table. Her hands landed on a journal hidden under clockwork parts. She flipped and skimmed through the pages for anything that could be of help.

Cyrenial came up behind her and began to go through what was left on the table. He held up a severed finger, making Valleri raise her eyebrow questioningly. "Is there anything relevant in there?" he asked after tossing the digit away.

"Apparently there were a few more people on the expedition, but they weren't here when the Falmer ambushed them."

Cyrenial didn't anything but took the journal when the Imperial woman offered it to him. He flipped through absent mindedly before pausing. He stood still with wide eyes and Valleri was sure he was holding his breath.

She laughed nervously, "You're not getting jumpy, are you?" Valleri shut up when Cyrenial placed a hand over her mouth. He gave her a sharp glare before turning around.

Valleri squinted her eyes and saw a shadowy figure hunched over in the door. The woman pushed Cyrenial's hand away from her mouth, now able to breathe properly again. "Where's Vilkas?"

"He was on his way to another room."

Both of them stood still as they watched the hunched figure come closer. Valleri glanced back to Cyrenial. The Altmer's face was contorted with steely determination as he watched the hunched figure. He slowly picked up a spare piece of sharp metal. Pushing Valleri to the side of the room, he scurried to the other end. The hunched figure, an armor clad Falmer, entered the room, grunting all the while.

Valleri once again unsheathed the small dagger when the blind elf started to walk towards her. Chills went down her spine when the Falmer stopped in front of her. She could smell the sweat and urine wafting off the monstrosity. She blinked slowly before sidestepping the Falmer in order to get a better swing at him when she was sure she was ready.

The Imperial was about to spring on the monstrous elf when she watched a brass colored piece of metal hit the back of the Falmer's head. It turned around and hissed before running towards Cyrenial. The Altmer looked panicked as he readied a spell. Valleri didn't hesitate to run at the Falmer, jumping on it's back to get a grip on the slippery armor.

The Falmer wriggled underneath Valeri in an attempt to free itself. The woman clung onto one of the horns jutting out of the helmet. Her dagger finally slashed at the Falmer's chest. She could feel the blade go deep. Dragging across the solid flesh was met with resistance. Dull copper blood seeped from the wound when the Falmer screamed in Valleri's ear. She grimaced and let go after pulling the small dagger from its chest.

"Val, out of the way!"

Valleri looked over her shoulder as she stumbled over to Cyrenial. Vilkas fired the knocked arrow and Valleri heard a went thunk as it found it's place in the Falmer's neck. The Falmer fell to his knees in the next moment. A plume of dust rose into the air when the Falmer fell.

Vilkas stood at the door way with another arrow knocked on the rusted bow he picked up. He retrieved the damaged arrow as he spoke, "I found a body in the other room. There was some flesh missing. I figured the Falmer had some sort of meal planned."

"That explains the finger I found a moment ago," Cyrenial muttered. "What of the bow, then? That was quite unexpected."

Vilkas narrowed his eyes, "What does that mean?"

"Nothing really," the Altmer shrugged. Vilkas didn't break his accusatory glare. "I mean exactly what I said."

Valleri shook her head and made her way to stand in between the two of them. "I have to agree with Cyrenial. It's just the luck of the draw at this point." She tapped the Falmer with her foot, "I didn't realize they would craft any sort of armor though."

Vilkas chuckled to himself, thoroughly amused. "Yeah, who'd have thought?"

"There's more important matters than these monsters," Cyrenial cut in with a cough. He held up the journal he and Valleri found before the ambush.

"Oh, right!" the Imperial woman exclaimed. Her smirk was replaced with a colder expression as she gestured wildly, "The man you found in the other room wasn't the only person in Nchuand-Zel. There were at least three other researchers who were cut off by the Falmer in other parts of the ruin."

"The researchers were already settled in when the Falmer attacked them?" Vilkas asked. Both Valleri and Cyrenial nodded affirmatively. "Did this one know where his friends ended up?"

"Not at all," Valleri paused, "Though I'd imagine that after holing himself up, who ever this guy was, he was the last one to get picked off by the Falmer."

Cyrenial shrugged and began to walk off, "Well, it's not the worst thing that can happen to a person." He disappeared into the gloom. Vilkas and Valeri exchanged concerned glance before catching up to him. The three of them made their way back up the stairs to where they found the first few Falmer and didn't slow down.

Vilkas looked back momentarily, noting a second passage he hadn't seen before. He spoke loudly, "Shouldn't we take a look over there before we leave?"

Valleri looked back as well, "There's be no point in that; we found what we needed here." She paused, taking Vilkas' hand to urge him forward, "Besides this isn't our excavation. It wouldn't be fair to take over a site that someone else has already claimed. People get in a lot of trouble for taking credit for any person's discoveries."

The Nord shook his head with a frown, "That makes no sense to me."

"It's a matter of respect," Valleri finished as she held the door open for Cyrenial and Vilkas. Valleri and Vilkas locked eyes momentarily with an accusatory expression. The Nord didn't say anything when he looked away. Looking around the cavern again, Valleri spotted another way down. She nudged the Altmer in front of her, "There's a walkway just behind that plaza there."

Cyrenial sighed with exasperation, "There are absolutely no hand railings in this place. Makes you wonder how the Falmer just don't fall of the sides."

"It's been a few millennia since they went blind. By now it's just how the live," Vilkas explained as he stood behind Cyrenial.

"Ah, much like the Empire's recent lack of proper government, I take it? They'll eventually get used to that soon enough too."

Valleri laughed heartily, "Can't deny that!" The Imperial gave Cyrenial a sharp, playful smack on the shoulder before rushing down the walkway. She slowed as she approached the middle platform. There was another lamp overhead, illuminating the small area. Leaning against the wall to catch her breath, Valleri watched the others on their way down.

Vilkas pointed at her arm, "How's it holding up?"

"I think jumping that Falmer probably wasn't the best thing to do," Valleri explained, smirk still on her face. Curious, she rolled her sleeve up to check the wound. Dried blood was crusted around the edges of the wound and Valleri started to feel the sting once more. She looked at the watery ground underneath them, "It's quiet. I was certain there were other Falmer down here. Maybe I was wrong."

"You can hear them if you listen closely. They're just hiding for now since they know we're here," Vilkas muttered. He turned back to Cyrenial behind him, "We're gonna take a quick break. Val's arm needs to be bandaged up before anything else happens to it."

The Altmer shrugged as he found a spot on the other side of the platform to look at the rest of the cavern. Vilkas gave Valleri a quick look, "Can I assume you still have those bandages?"

"Yeah," Valleri said, rubbing the blood off with a damp cloth. When she was done, the Imperial began to rifle through the small pouch at her side. She produced a roll of white linen and handed it to her friend. "You're not going to make a mess of this, are you?"

The Nord furrowed his eyebrows in thought. He began to unravel the spool as he laughed, "To be honest, I think you're going to need a stitch or two. We don't have the time for that though." He secured the wrapping with a tight knot, allowing Valleri to roll down her sleeve. "You'll be fine."

"One can hope," Valleri chuckled.

Cyrenial waved the two over, pointing to another door separated from the main plot of dry ground by a moat. There was still no sign of any Falmer around. He didn't move his gaze as he spoke, "May I assume that's where we're going?"

Valleri smiled widely.

"Absolutely."


	36. Chapter 36

The trio stood on the shore of the moat, staring at the door on the other side. There was still no sign of the Falmer, apart from the grunts and shadows in the crags in the periphery of Valleri's vision. Every few moments she would catch sight of movement and she'd feel even more uneasy. Being able to see glowing eyes in the shadows would have made her feel better, but none existed.

Cyrenial stood behind her and Vilkas with crossed arms. "I refuse to go into that sludge," he insisted.

Valleri shook her, "It's not that bad. This is hardly the most disgusting stuff I've had to swim through."

"What was the worst?" Vilkas asked.

"Imperial City sewers," Valleri said. Vilkas nodded his head, muttering a word or two the Imperial didn't catch. Cyrenial only shook his head in disappointment.

"I never agreed to do any of this though," the Altmer continued.

Valleri spun on her heel to face him, "You didn't have to agree to come in the first place!"

"And miss any valuable information I could get from you?" he paused momentarily, smug grin on his face, "Any other course of action wouldn't be acceptable."

Valleri stopped paying attention to the Altmer and tossed her small pack and cloak to the other side of the moat before doing the same to Vilkas' belongings. Cyrenial reluctantly handed over his own goods so that Valleri could save them from getting too wet.

The Imperial gave Vilkas curt nod before wading into the water. She grimaced as the cold seeped through her clothes and into her boots. Valleri turned around and began to walk backwards into the water in order to face her friends.

"How is it?" Vilkas called out. Cyrenial was now next to him, arms still crossed, but his expression was softer.

Valleri laughed, "It's a bit chilly, but there's nothing in the water. You can see all the way to the bottom." She stood still for a moment before she felt her boot fail to find the bottom. The Imperial fell backwards with a splash. The yells of her friends were still audible under the water. In only a moment, Valleri found the surface again and drew a new breath. "I'm fine!" Valleri shouted, wiping water from her eyes.

"What happened?"

The woman bobbed up and down in the water, looking around. Her eyes found Vilkas and Cyrenial back where she left them. "There was a ledge. Be careful when cross over. It's really sudden!"

Hauling herself up onto dry ground, Valleri began to wring out her clothes and hair. The back of her tunic clung to her neck uncomfortably as she moved. Valleri couldn't do much about it and tried not to cringe. She waited and watched the other two flounder in the water for a few moments. She held out her hand for one of the others to grab onto, only to struggle as she tried to pull up Vilkas. The Nord instinctively shook of the excess water dripping down his armor, reminding the Imperial of a dog. After taking a breath, Valleri helped Cyrenial to dry ground with less effort than she expected.

How could two people who were almost the same height weigh so differently?

Valleri stared at Vilkas momentarily to see if she could find an answer but nothing came to mind. Vilkas didn't seem to notice Valleri staring daggers at him as he picked up his belongings. The Imperial sighed as she went for the next door.

"Shouldn't we wait to dry off first?" Cyrenial said as he stopped Valleri.

The woman looked over her shoulder with a tired expression. "Of course not. We don't have time to waste"

"She's right. Clothes take forever to dry and the Falmer already know we're here," Vilkas added. He strode up behind the two of them with their own packs and took the lead when Valleri held the door open.

Cyrenial shivered as he placed his hands under his arms, "I've never been more uncomfortable in my life."

"Maybe you should have swam nude and kept your clothes dry," Valleri jested. The Altmer didn't say anything but she could hear him grumbling angrily behind her. Putting the disgruntled Altmer out of her mind, she looked into the next, cramped chamber in front of them. A raised walkway revealed another passage at the far end on the ground level.

Vilkas gave her a glance from the side. "Your choice here, Val," he whispered and crossed his arms.

The Imperial woman shook her head slightly as she tilted her head, "I have no particular desire to climb any more stairs and that passage looks pretty closed in."

"Not much of a chance for an ambush you think?" Vilkas questioned. Valleri nodded tiredly as he crossed his arms. "We could always turn back if need be, I guess. Cyrenial?"

The Altmer was still wringing out his robes when he looked back at the Nord. "I told you two before that I don't care what you two do. I'm only here to watch what happens," Cyrenial nearly spat.

Valleri breathed out with exasperation as she turned back to the lower passage, "This way then." The trio entered the darker passage and Valleri had to squint to see anything. Tension seemed to rise as she led her companions further. The next portion of the room was pitch black and Valleri had to hold her arms far out in front of her to feel anything. At the far end, she could feel the cool metal bars of a gate. Valleri clicked her tongue as she realized that Vilkas and Cyrenial could probably see just fine.

"It's blocked off," Valleri muttered. She turned around in an attempt to find anyone in the gloom. "Vilkas?"

There was a silent moment where Valleri was convinced she was alone before the Nord answered. "Yeah, I can see that gate. There's some stairs behind it."

Valleri bit her lip as she spared a moment to think. Looking back from where she came, Valleri could just barely make out the silhouettes of her companions. She tapped Vilkas on the shoulder to let him know she was here and said a few words, "Stay here and wait for me."

Without another second wasted, Valleri ran off back towards the light.

…

Vilkas could just barely see Valleri run off down the passage again. There was no need for him go after her; Vilkas had complete confidence that Valleri would do something risky and stupid. But he was also confident that she would be able to find a way around the locked gate.

He leaned against the stone wall and closed his eyes. There was no point in keeping them open when everything was still dark. Vilkas could hear Cyrenial come closer to him only to sit down on the floor. The Altmer hissed as he accidentally smacked the back of his head against the stone wall.

There was another moment of silence before Cyrenial began to speak. "You just let her go into a ruin by herself?"

Vilkas scowled, "Why wouldn't I? Val knows what she's doing. You know more about her past than I do. You should know more than anyone how qualified she is to run around freely in a place like this."

"Would you say Valleri Alastarim is more qualified than even you?"

Vilkas thought for a moment before answering, "Yeah, I would actually." He cracked open an eye as he glanced down at the Altmer. "Hey, I've got a question for you."

"Of course you do."

"How long have you been trailing Valleri and her family?"

Cyrenial pondered his answer carefully, staring at his hands as he did so. "After your uncalled-for threats earlier, I have a feeling I'll have to answer as honestly as possible. I wonder if Valleri left the two of us alone on purpose?"

"Probably not," Vilkas added, voice monotone. "She doesn't think a lot about what she does when she's on the job. Val's an oddly instinctual person."

Cyrenial chuckled to himself, "I gathered that much. She saw right through my Synod lie the last time I met her. That woman knew I was with the Thalmor the second she saw me, didn't she?"

"Well," Vilkas paused, "She certainly didn't like you at all."

"That's not surprising," Cyrenial laughed, "Even my own colleagues don't enjoy my company!"

Vilkas clicked his tongue, "Are you going to answer my question any time soon or are you going to continue complaining about how lonely you are?"

"I was getting to it," Cyrenial muttered as he waved his hand dismissively at the Nord. "To be honest, I only started inquiring after her very recently. My superiors have been following the Alastarim family for years now. I was only given the task about a year or so ago when Alastaros brought a certain discovery to the attention of the Synod council." Cyrenial paused and looked back up to Vilkas, "How much has Valleri told you about what they found in Sedor?"

Vilkas leaned forward, a tinge of uncertainty in the pit of his stomach. "Only a bit. I try not to pry too much. All I know is that there's some sort of relic hidden in Skyrim and that it's piqued Thalmor interest."

"They are very interested."

"What sort of relic is it?"

Cyrenial breathed out sharply, "It's a key. What that key opens is very powerful and very important. If I can't deliver it to the Thalmor, my life is forfeit."

Vilkas opened his mouth to speak, but was blinded as bright light filled the room. He rushed to the gate, taking hold of the brass bars. Valleri was standing in the middle of the raised floor at the top of the stairs, obviously distracted by something Vilkas couldn't see.

"Valleri!"

The Imperial turned around, wide eyes melting into an expression of relief as she ran down the stairs. She began to fiddle with the door before looking back up to Vilkas and Cyrenial. She smirked, "Sorry that took me so long. I got mixed up with some traps along the way."

Vilkas glanced back at the Altmer next to him, "Can you get this door open?"

The Imperial bit her lip as she breathed out. "Yeah, this is easy," she said, beginning to fiddle with the lock once more. At first Vilkas was convinced he was hearing things, but when he saw Cyrenial narrow his yes and stare up, he was sure of it. At the top of the stairs, a brass orb began to unfold. Before he knew it, Vilkas was watching the strange contraption fire off a cross bow bolt towards the three of them.

The Nord pushed Valleri down out of the way as he dropped to ground. Cyrenial crashed to the floor as well, grunting in mock pain when he landed on his arm. The bolt ricocheted off the stone wall behind them. Valleri began to panic as she continued to work on the lock. The Dwemer sphere maneuvered itself down the stairs with surprising speed, cocking a bladed arm up in an attack position. Vilkas moved out of the way as the sphere brought the blade down. Vilkas couldn't seen anything as sparks flew up into the air. Instead, he could hear Valleri yell followed by clanging sound.

He stepped back again to see that the Dwemer sphere had destroyed the lock and the gate swung open. The Nord pulled his sword from his back and charged the sphere. He smiled as he felt the resistance of the clockwork and wires of the exposed midsection against the blade. As if it were almost weightless, the contraption flew against the side wall and crumpled to the floor.

Cyrenial gave him a shocked glance before looking back at the stairs. Concerned, Vilkas looked over for himself only to see that the Imperial was mostly fine. Valleri was sprawled backwards out on the stairs, eyes wide with adrenaline. She sat upright and rubbed her face with a free hand. Vilkas could see the red stains through the bandages on her arm.

She looked back at him over the hand and let out a long sigh. Her green eyes were filled with disbelief, questioning what just happened.

He walked over and offered to help up with a proffered hand. The Imperial's grip was tighter than usual but her face turned solemn as she followed the Nord up. Vilkas could now see the what had Valleri so distracted. At the far end of the room was a large chest with a centurion standing guard behind it, small Dwemer spheres lined against the walls.

Still clinging to the chest was dead Breton. Vilkas picked up a blood-stained journal and flipped through the pages. There wasn't much written in there, but Vilkas couldn't help but glower at the dead body.

"Anything relevant?" he heard Valleri ask behind him.

The Nord shook his head with disappointment. Tossing the journal at her, he muttered, "Not really. Calcelmo hired some shifty people."

Cyrenial read the journal along with Valleri from over her shoulder. He scowled, "Frankly I'm not surprised." He paused momentarily, "You've been awfully quiet, Imperial."

The neutral look on Valleri's face soured as she slipped the journal next to the one they found in the other set of chambers. "It makes me sick," she muttered. Valleri looked back over to the Breton, a hint of disgust in her expression, "Blatant disrespect for a place like this is what got him killed."

Vilkas narrowed his yes in confusion, "Wait, what?"

The Imperial shook her head as she made her way towards the exit where she came through only a few minutes prior. "It doesn't matter Vilkas. Let's just go; I just want to finish this up," she called out from over her shoulder. Vilkas glanced over to Cyrenial, who only just shrugged. With a sigh the Nord followed her.

She passed the traps expertly as Vilkas and Cyrenial fumbled around spikes and swinging blades. Vilkas could now see why Valleri had taken so long. She mentioned traps being one of the key features of Ayleid ruins never to what scale. Having that past experience helped, but there was no point in taking chances in a place you've never been in before. Valleri knew that.

Valleri was already waiting at the top of the passage, in front of the exit. Her arms were crossed as she yawned. The Nord paused as he took a hold of the door's handle.

"Is something wrong?"

Vilkas shook his head with a frown, "I've just got a feeling there's trouble ahead."

The Imperial pushed past him, "That's never stopped us before." She opened the door and stared out for a moment. Ahead of them was the strange pillar and balcony they'd seen from the ground. Another dead researcher was laying broken in front of them. Towering above them was a steam centurion, blood covering the automaton's lower half.

Vilkas tensed as watched Valleri narrow her eyes. Following her gaze, the Nord saw the small streams of steam rising up from the centurions. The thing was sleeping for now and the last thing they wanted was to wake it.

The Nord's attention turned behind him. He almost couldn't hear the foot falls rushing towards them, but with each passing second Vilkas was surer they'd been followed. Cyrenial turned around when he saw the Nord perk up. His face melted into panic. "We have to go, Valleri," Cyrenial almost yelled.

"Why in oblivion would we?" Valleri retorted, still unaware of the Falmer. "The last thing we want is to fight that thing!" she gestured towards the centurion.

The automaton was beginning to move again and Vilkas could see the tension in Valleri's posture.

Vilkas looked over his shoulder to see a wave of Falmer coming at them from behind. There were too many to count. "There's a door up ahead."

"The Centurion's not going to let us pass and I don't think we stand much of a chance against it."

The Falmer screamed behind them as Vilkas took Valleri by the shoulders. "I'm calling the shots now, Val. We have to go!" he yelled. Valleri didn't react as he looked back at Cyrenial. The elf was starting to fire off a spell as the one of the Falmer started to swing at them. To his side, Vilkas could hear the centurion begin to amble closer to them.

Vilkas snatched the back of Cyrenial's robe as flames seemingly split the group of Falmer. Unexpectedly, the Centurion brought it's hammer down on the ground next to the trio. An unlucky Falmer let out a pained shriek as it fell to the ground. With in moments, the Falmer swarmed the automaton, encircling Vilkas and the others in the chaos.

He didn't think as he ran past the fight, dragging Valleri and Cyrenial with him.

…

Valleri could hear the Falmer bring down the centurion behind her. Their guttural screams and grunts barely masked the clicking and whining coming from the machinery. The large brass door Vilkas led them to flung open, hinges squealing from disuse. Vilkas pushed her and Cyrenial to their knees as he bared the door with stray pieces of furniture.

Within moments, the Nord turned back to stare at her. "When I tell you not hesitate, don't fucking hesitate!" he growled. Vilkas shook his head and started off further into the hall. All was quiet and Valleri was sure he could see well enough into the gloom.

She picked herself up with a grunt. "You know better than I do that getting into a fight with a centurion would mean a death sentence. If that didn't kill us right away, we wouldn't have been able to save ourselves from the Falmer."

"Doesn't fucking matter anymore, Val," he muttered, shaking his head.

Valleri sighed as she waited with her arms crossed. Cyrenial looked back at the door with concern, "What about now however? Will that door hold?"

"An hour or so."

The Altmer shared an exasperated glance with Valleri before following Vilkas. Their surroundings were eerily silent they made their way forward. The path was almost a spitting copy of the other sections of the ruin. Raised platforms and stairs lined the walls, leading to hidden rooms while small pipes and valves littered the first floor. Any signs of Falmer activity were old and dusty, but Valleri could still see the dried blood trail leading to the second floor.

Reluctantly, she followed it. At the top of the stirs was another abandoned journal, this one in much better shape than the others. She flipped through the pages. Her face melted into horror as the journal hit the ground with a thud. She ran into the next room only stopping when she found the researcher's corpse laying so close to the lever he wrote about.

Was it just her or was that scratching and yelling against the door?

"Valleri? What the hell are you doing?"

Vilkas placed a hand on her shoulder and turned her to face him. She looked back at him through wide eyes. Shaking her head, Valleri fought to articulate her racing thought. "We need to leave."

"What in the world are you talking about?"

Cyrenial stepped into the light, holding the journal open to the last entry, "This man, Staubin, wanted to reactivate Nchuand-Zel to get rid of the Falmer. The spiders were the only thing keeping them out of the city."

Vilkas turned back in confusion, "Are you kidding?" He paused, removing his hand Valleri's shoulder. Looking around the room, he continued to mutter, "How do we do that? We have to hurry." The Altmer gestured to a lever at the far side of the room. Vilkas didn't waste time trying to get to the lever.

"Stop!" the Imperial yelled as she pushed Vilkas away, blocking the lever as best she could.

"What are you doing?" Vilkas questioned, almost frantic. He didn't move and only stared at Valleri like a mad woman.

"If you pull that lever, you destroy any shred of relevant history left over in this place. All those researchers' work will have been for nothing," Valleri explained, voice shaky.

Vilkas breathed heavily as he continued to stare at his friend. "And what happens if we just let the Falmer run loose? What then?" He paused, "The people of Markarth will be left to dry because you refused to prevent a disaster."

"We can't make that decision, Vilkas! It's not up to us!"

"So what? We're the ones right here right now, not Calcelmo. If it was really up to him, he would have been here."

"Calcelmo only told us to look around, not start a war in his ruin! If I fuck up his excavation site, his life's work, that ruins any credibility I have!" Valleri glare softened into a frown as she refused to move. "Calcelmo will have no reason to help someone who had no respect for his work, let alone their own. Any chance we have of finding the necklace or Alastaros disappears if he won't translate that journal!"

Vilkas didn't say anything for a long few moments. "As a Companion I just can't let innocent people die. That goes against everything I stand for." He moved to push past Valleri, "I'm gonna push that lever whether you want me to or not."

The Imperial woman thrashed against Vilkas in an attempt to stop him, "You made a promise to me, Vilkas! You promised you'd help me find Alastaros!"

The Nord paused momentarily, not bothering to fight against Valleri. He turned towards Cyrenial. The Altmer was smiling smugly, taking in everything Valleri just said. Vilkas' stomach churned with regret. "I'm not breaking that promise. You'll have to find a way to deal with it. Calcelmo will understand."

Vilkas pushed Valleri out of the way and she sunk to the floor. She shut her eyes and flinched when she heard the metallic click behind her. The scratching at the door turned silent in only a few moments as she tried to remind herself to breathe. Calcelmo would never help her now.


	37. Chapter 37

Valleri sat on a stony bench outside of Aicantar's work space outside the ruin. She sighed dejectedly and leaned forward. The Imperial woman forced herself to stare at the ground. Vilkas was standing close by and if she made any sort of eye contact with him, she was going to lose it.

Cyrenial kept close to her and Vilkas, pacing up and down. She groaned, "Cyrenial, why in Oblivion are you still here?"

He laughed nervously for a moment before a smug grin spread across his face. "I learned a lot during this trip, but secrets can be revealed at any time. It's worth staying."

Valleri paused for a moment, regarding the Altmer with confusion. She shook her head, "What in the world did you learn in there?"

"That you're attempting to find the necklace that unlocks Sedor."

Valleri's stomach dropped. "What about Alastaros? I thought you were looking for him." The Imperial dropped her head in her hands as thoughts began to race again. "That's not what you wanted at all. Fuck, fuck, fuck!"

Cyrenial stroked the top of her head lightly as she heard him chuckle. "I may have lied to you before, but you lied also. Alastaros isn't the only thing missing." His hand didn't move from her head and Valleri felt sick. "You made my job much easier, Valleri."  
Vilkas must have heard what the Altmer said and turned around, scowl on his face. He smacked the lithe, golden hand away from Valleri's head and growled,

"Get the fuck away from her."

There was no change in Cyrenial's demeanor as he took a step back. "Do you think she belongs to you, bear? Or is it the other way around; do you belong to her?" He tilted his head, "Maybe you're both mistaken. In any case, that's all I'll say on the matter."

All went silent for a moment and Valleri could feel herself calm down as Cyrenial left her side. Kneeling down, he tried to make eye contact with the woman and placed a hand on her knee, "You all right?"

Valleri could do nothing but glare at him, "No, I'm not. Please don't touch me, Vilkas."

She watched as a tinge of sadness washed over his face before Vilkas stood up. Regret filled her as he kept his distance, but she was still mad at him. She had every right to be mad at him.

Valleri could see both Calcelmo and Aicantar coming down from the other side of the keep, both of them wearing the same expectant expression. The younger Altmer gave her a small smile and a wave. Valleri didn't move to greet him, further sinking into the sick feeling crawling over her.

"You're back then?" Calcelmo said as he looked over the exhausted group. He clicked his tongue with disappointment, "My team didn't make it, I see?"

Valleri glowered up at him wordlessly before the old Altmer looked to Vilkas for answers. The Nord shrugged, "I'm not sure why you would have expected otherwise. All killed by Falmer." He paused and tilted his head, "Well, except that one, but still."

Calcelmo rubbed his temples with frustration, staring at the ground. "This just means we'll have to start over." He turned to Aicantar. "Get another team ready. We want to be in Nchuand-Zel with in a week."

"Uh, about that," Valleri paused, "There was a mishap. You won't be able to go into Nchuand-Zel for at least a few months."

Calcelmo paused and his expression turned bitter. She glanced over to Vilkas, who only looked away. Vilkas bit his lip before explaining, "Nchuand-Zel was a Falmer hive, they were everywhere. A man named Staubin left instructions to reactivate the Dwemer contraptions."

There was silence as each person let Vilkas' news sink in. Calcelmo breathed in sharply as he looked back to Vilkas, "You just ruined five years of work, boy. I hope it was worth it." The old Altmer shook his head as he turned away from the group. "I'm done here."

Valleri stood up from the stone bench, shooting Vilkas quick glare, "What the fuck? What happened to our deal?"

Calcelmo looked over his shoulder, cold eyes boring right through Valleri. He gestured over to his nephew, "Have Aicantar help you for now. I have a new problem to deal with apparently."

He walked off quickly and Valleri didn't bother to stop him. Aicantar took his place quickly as he called both Cyrenial and Vilkas closer. He gave a nervous smile before speaking in a hurried fashion, "I was able to convince my uncle that your two different documents will be translated not depending on the outcome of your little adventure."

"The deal hasn't been compromised?" Valleri questioned, eyes narrowed as she waited for an answer.

Aicantar gave her a soft pat on the back, "Yep, you're getting your translation. I actually started while you three were gone." He gave Cyrenial a concerned look, "I never saw what you wanted translated to be honest."

Shrugging, Cyrenial picked at his nails. "It was a scrap of Dwemer literature. I don't recall exactly."

"Dwemer?" Aicantar paused as Valleri and Vilkas stared at the Thalmor. "If it were Dwemer, Uncle would have gone straight to it without question."

Cyrenial breathed out sharply, aware he was caught in a lie, "it was a mix of both, Falmer and Dwemer. Complicated stuff."

"Is that so?" Aicantar goaded. "Well, I guess I can take you three upstairs then."

Vilkas exchanged a confused glance with Valleri before turning back to Aicantar. "What's upstairs?"

The Altmer was practically beaming with excitement, "The labs!" He cleared his throat, making sure he didn't seem overly excited the second time, "The labs where we conduct most of our studies." He looked over to Valleri, gesturing wildly with a free hand, "You'd appreciate it, Valleri."

Valleri couldn't help but crack a grin. She chuckled and shook her head, "You're taking us now?"

"I don't see why not," Aicantar shrugged he turned towards the others. Vilkas couldn't have been more disinterested while Cyrenial continued to clean his nails. Valleri sighed with exasperation while Aicantar continued. "All of my new notes on the Falmeri translation are up there and there's a side project I've been working on I think you may be interested in."

Unexpectedly, Cyrenial began to walk away from the work station. Aicantar furrowed his eyebrows, "Oh, I can show you where it is, Cyrenial."

The Thalmor spun on his heel to face the trio. "I have no interest in your lab."

"What?" Aicantar paused, smile gone from his face, "What about your literature?"

"I've learned all that I needed here." A smirk grew on his scarred face and Valleri could feel goosebumps raise on the back of her neck. "I should really thank Valleri for her help, though. Without her, I really wouldn't have made such a breakthrough."

Valleri didn't say anything as she watched him go. She was glad to see him leave, but this meeting left her more apprehensive than ever.

…

The door opened with a click and Valleri almost couldn't believe her eyes. The museum as Aicantar called it was a large, open room packed to the brim with old relics. Two or three lazy guards plodded around the exhibits as slow as they could muster. By now, they'd most likely seen everything Calcelmo kept in here.

"Your uncle has an impressive collection here," Valleri said, eyes darting around at the lifeless Dwemer automatons perched in threatening positions near the corners of the rooms.

"This isn't even half of it," Aicantar laughed, "Most of the priceless artifacts are in rooms further along the way. We keep them under heavier security just in case any fools get into their thick skulls they'd like to be thieves."

Vilkas absent mindedly traced a line in some dust on a nearby spider, "Must be an expensive venture. Who pays for it?"

"We get our money from private investors mostly. The jarl pays for some, but he's getting stingier with the war and all."

The trio stopped in the middle of the room, surrounded by various weapons racks and glass cases. Books were lain haphazardly on the tables, pages flipped open and dog eared to oblivion. "And these third-party investors?" Vilkas continued.

"Oh," Aicantar paused, rubbing the back of his head. "I don't really know. You'd have to ask Calcelmo." He turned back to Valleri, still confused by Vilkas' question. "Are you two ready to go up to the tower?"

Valleri gave a quick nod of her head before Aicantar looked back at the Nord for an answer. Vilkas didn't say anything for a moment before looking back at them, "I'm gonna stay here actually, if that's all right."

"Why though?" Aicantar questioned, disappointment written all over his face.

Vilkas shrugged, "Not that interested. Besides, I've never seen the museum. I could probably entertain myself here for a few hours at least."

"That's shame, but if you're sure," Aicantar said, "Valleri, the labs are up there. I need to go grab the key real quick."

Valleri and Vilkas stood together awkwardly as Valleri watched the Altmer disappear behind some shelves. Vilkas took her hand unexpectedly. The Imperial gave him a confused glance. "Val, we need to talk about what happened," Vilkas muttered.

"Now's not the time, Vilkas."

She watched the Nord's expression melt into concern and Valleri almost felt guilty. He didn't break eye contact with her, "Are you angry with me?"

Slumping her shoulders, Valleri pulled her hand back. From the corner of her eye, she could see Aicantar move towards the door behind them. "This isn't a good time." Giving him a quick wave, Valleri turned to follow the Altmer, "We can talk later."

Valleri made no attempt to look back as she followed Aicantar into the labs. Instead, she focused on the little details; books and spare Dwemer automaton parts were stashed in small crevices and table tops. The smell of oil was thick in the air and Valleri was scared she would choke on it.

"There's something I want to show you before I take you up. I've been keeping this a secret for the most part, but you'll appreciate him," the Altmer rambled. He held a door open and ushered Valleri into a cramped side room.

After pulling a short staff from the wall, Aicantar activated it. Valleri watched the red crystal at the end light up with anticipation only to be disappointed when nothing happened. Aicantar caught the look on her face and laughed, "Give him a moment."

"What?" Valleri asked before she heard the metallic clicking outside the door. A look of surprise grew on her face when the Imperial saw the Dwemer spider skittering into the room. It came right up to Aicantar and began to scratch at the bottom of his robes. She looked between him and the spider, eyes as wide as dinner plates.

"Neat, right?" Aicantar asked as he knelt down to pat the automaton. He looked back up to the shocked Valleri, "I was able to build him from the spare parts we had in the museum."

"And the staff?"

"It's a control rod, tells him where to go and who's a friend," the Altmer said, coming back to eye level. "I was able to fine tune the rod to take Smitty outside the labs now."

A smile cracked on Valleri's face, "Smitty?"

"Yeah that's what I've been calling him. It didn't seem right to leave him nameless."

Valleri hummed in response. "Would it be possible to see this Falmer translation stuff you mentioned?"

Aicantar gave her a surprised glance, "Oh, yeah. We can go now."

"Sorry about this," Valleri said, smile fading.

Aicantar gave her a reassuring nod, "No, I understand. You're eager to get this over with." He held the door open for Smitty and Valleri before leading them to the back rooms. The Imperial almost laughed when she watched a guard recoil in fear when he saw the spider as she waited for Aicantar to unlock the next door. The door exited to an exterior balcony and Valleri could finally feel the fresh air against her skin.

Looking out over the city, Valleri breathed out sharply, "Vilkas would have liked this. But it was his choice not to come."

Aicantar didn't say anything for a moment as he leaned on the wall next to her, "You're mad at Vilkas right?"

"What gave that away?" Valleri chided, "I'm livid actually."

"What happened?"

Valleri breathed out, "I asked him not to reactivate Nchuand-Zel, but he did. I'm nervous he'll pull a similar move when we find the necklace. What if Vilkas decides it isn't worth it? What I am supposed to do?"

"Wasn't he right, though? No one got hurt and Markarth isn't over run with Falmer," the Altmer said, gesturing with his hand. Valleri shot him a sharp glare, making him recoil. Aicantar didn't say anything for a short while as they watched the city.

"He's going on the expedition to recover the necklace eventually?"

"Yeah."

"What happened to not wanting to lose people?" Aicantar questioned.

Valleri gave him a conflicted glance before breathing out sharply, "I trust Vilkas; I trust him with my life. And that fear of losing him? If Vilkas ends up dying, I don't think I can live myself."

Giving his friend a swift pat on the arm, Aicantar started back towards the door wordlessly. Not wanting to get left behind, Valleri followed the Altmer into the last room at the top of the tower. The chamber was much cooler and darker than the labs below. Valleri almost couldn't see Aicantar climb a final flight of stairs. Instead she was forced to listen to the sound of Smitty's metallic clicking.

"Well, this is it," Aicantar muttered as he opened the final door, revealing a brilliantly lit work room. Tables were littered with charcoal, quills, and ink bottles while books and scrolls were stacked precariously all around Valleri.

Aicantar walked to the head of the room and pulled a sheet off a large object with a flourish. "And this is what helped us crack the Falmer language."

He beckoned Valleri over with a wave. The Imperial knelt down to get a better look, rubbing her hand over the carved words. Valleri could see two different scripts on the stone, but nothing familiar. "What is it exactly?"

"We found it a while back. There's both Falmer and Dwemer script on there. And since we already know Dwemer," Aicantar trailed off.

"You got a free shot at the Falmer alphabet. That's," Valleri paused, looking for the words, "That's amazing!"

"Well, it was before Lex stole two years' worth of notes and a tracing of the stone."

"Again, I don't think I can apologize enough." Valleri stood up for a moment, "What does that mean for my journal?"

Aicantar crossed his arms with a disgruntled huff, "Calcelmo had me start over when Lex ran off, so it's going to take a while." He paused, tilting his head, "And it may not be the most accurate translation. Not sure if that's what you're used to or not, so I'd figure I'd warn you now."

"That's fine, just as long as you can figure out where they are. That's all we need to know."

Laughing, Aicantar crossed his arms, "Don't worry, Valleri. Out of anyone here, I'm the most qualified to get your location. All you have to do is look for some crusty language about the deep ones and you've got it."

Valleri gave the Altmer a stern glance, "Most of it is probably Lex's rambling."

Both of them looked down at the floor sorrowfully and only Smitty's clicking became audible. Aicantar began to tear up as he rubbed his arm across his eyes. Valleri put a gentle hand on his back, subbing slow circles as she did so. "I miss him too, Aicantar," she paused, "I miss him too."

…

Valleri was surprised when she didn't see Vilkas standing in the same place she'd left him. The blocked-up feeling in her chest resurfaced as the Imperial caught up to one of the guards milling about the room. The bored look melted off the man's face when she asked where her friend was.

"Oh right, him. He said he was with the Companions; Hans over there was lapping it right up," the guard murmured.

Valleri nodded her head, "Yeah, where is he?"

"Said something about going back to the inn," the guard shrugged, "He wasn't particularly excited about waiting for you and Master Aicantar. Can't say I blame 'im."

Valleri's stomach dropped when she turned to leave the museum. Suddenly, she turned back and addressed the guard again, "Can you tell me where the Temple of Dibella is?"

The guard sighed with exasperation. He rubbed the bridged of his nose. "It's at the top of the hill in the center of town, ma'am."

After offering a quick thanks, Valleri made a swift exit out of Understone Keep, taking a deep breath of the fresh air. She looked up to the tall hill, noticing the façade of a building and the braziers still lit up. The climb up was precarious enough. Valleri wasn't exactly sure how she was going to get back down without tripping. The inside of the temple, despite the familiar iconography of her goddess, was still built in the usual Markarth style. It felt foreign to the Imperial.

Valleri looked around the room before being approached by one of the priestesses. "Are you here to make an offering?"

The Imperial met the priestess's eyes with an uncertain smirk. "No, I'd like to leave a candle though, if I can borrow one."

Clicking her tongue, the priestess nearly laughed, "I'm sorry, but a blessing like that is reserved for acolytes if you can't make the proper donation."

"I am an acolyte though," Valleri retorted, "I was trained in Anvil before leaving the chapel. I have a small shrine in Whiterun."

Shaking her head, the priestess went to a small side cupboard, "If you insist, I don't care enough to say no. Was there a specific blessing you were looking for?"

Shaking her head, Valleri looked back at the priestess across the room. Shrugging, Valleri tried to laugh, "Not even sure. I'm looking for a friend and thought maybe the Lady could help."

"Looking for? How so?"

Valleri paused dipping her hand in the pool of water next to her. "It's complicated. I dunno. I said somethings and I'm still so mad and I have to apologize," Valleri rambled. Before she knew it, Valleri said too much.

The priestess took her time riffling through the cabinet before she stood back up. Turning to face the Imperial, she held out a candle; runes carved into the waxy exterior. "A pink candle will help you find the words. They're there, you just have to say them."

Valleri took the candle with smirk before placing it on a small altar and lighting the wick. She watched the flame burn for a moment, "Here's hoping it works." Saying a small prayer, Valleri gave the priestess a small wave goodbye and Valleri left the temple.

Valleri stopped on the stairs when she saw Vilkas leaning on the stony wall outside. He looked over to her with an uncertain expression. Approaching her, he addressed her quietly, "Are you good?"

Glancing to the side, Valleri breathed out, trying not look directly at Vilkas. Finally, Valleri hugged him tight around the shoulders, burying her head in the crook of his neck. Vilkas didn't move for a moment. Soon enough, he grabbed hold of waist and gave her a gentle hug.

Valleri breathed him in once more, "I'm sorry; I shouldn't have been so hurt Nchuand-Zel." She paused, waiting to see if Vilkas would say anything. When he didn't, she continued, "I didn't think that Calcelmo would have helped us. You shouldn't be blamed for doing what was the right course of action. I get so caught up on this stupid goose chase I forget that others get involved for absolutely no reason. Vilkas, I wouldn't even be here if not for you. I'm sorry."

She pulled back from her hug and waited for Vilkas to react. The Nord smiled widely and rubbed the bottom of half of his face. Shaking his head, "I know it's not supposed to be funny, but the last time I saw you this honest was when you were telling me how much hated Skyrim when I first met you, Val."

"Vilkas."

"I didn't mean to make light of your apology. You're not angry then?"

"A little bit, but no," Valleri muttered, looking away sheepishly. "It's been a long trip, lets go home."

Vilkas nodded wordlessly before taking her hand. Together, they descended down the hill without any mishaps. No one said a thing, but Valleri didn't feel the need to speak. Things were good again.


	38. Chapter 38

Ysolda tried not to spill the tray of crostatas as she carried them to Olfina and Jon's table in the corner of the tavern. The Bannered Mare was nearly empty, a strange occurrence around midday. But Ysolda was pretty much on her own and wasn't in the mood to deal with too many customers.

The couple looked at her sheepishly as she set the tray down. Wordlessly, the hostess gave them a reassuring glance, patting her friend on the shoulder. Ysolda knew better than to say anything to their respective families. She was lucky enough she didn't have to sneak around with Farkas.

Any privacy afforded to Olfina and Jon was almost a miracle.

The Nord woman went about her business until Olfina made a passing glance at Ysolda. The woman gestured quietly to a rowdy bunch of men taking up most of the space in the middle of the tavern. Ysolda sighed with exasperation. The four or so ugly looking travelers barged in late the previous night and hadn't left the inn since. As soon as Ysolda made it back to the inn that morning, they started demanding all sorts of things.

"Isn't there something you can do?" Olfina almost begged. "I mean, you're practically the owner until Hulda gets back."

"You're right. I'll be back," Ysolda muttered. Reluctantly, the hostess made her way to the rowdy bunch. She didn't have to wait for them to take notice of her.

"Oh hey, lady, we were just about to call you back! Let's say you get us another round of mead?" one of them asked, attempting put his arm around her waist.

Revolted, Ysolda stepped back and swatted the hand away. It took almost everything in her not to immediately throttle the man. "How about no?"

"Ale then?"

Ysolda blinked in surprise, any words failing to form. "Isn't it too early in the day to be drinking this much? Don't you have some other place to be?"

The group of men continued to laugh. Ysolda was sure they heard her. Now they were just being rude. One of the younger ones stopped laughing momentarily, "What happened to that Redguard girl form last night? She sure was a fine thing to look at."

"What about this one?"

"Too tall. The tall ones are hard to get under control."

Ysolda didn't think as she slapped the young man in front of her. "Don't you say anther fucking word you ungrateful lout!" The group stared up at Ysolda in stunned silence. "If you wanted that sort of service, I recommend shoving off and getting dropping your pants for the goats outside the city."

The men glanced at each other, not buying a word Ysolda said. One of them sighed and spoke disinterestedly, "Listen lady. We're important people on business, right lads?" The man paused, "Literally any other inn would be jumping over both moons to have us here."

"Get out."

"What now?"

Ysolda breathed in sharply and pointed to the door. "I don't like repeating myself. I told you to get out."

"We're paying customers, lady. We have every right to be here," one of them chorused.

The scowl of Ysolda's face deepened. "I haven't seen a single septim between all four of you since the moment you got here and you've racked up a large tab. You're not even close to paying customers. Now go."

One of the larger men stood up from his chair with a clatter. He stood tall above Ysolda, glaring down at her. "You can't do a single thing, lady. We aren't leaving."

"You're going to be sorry," Ysolda said, voice sharp.

"Sorry for what? You gonna call the guards?" the man said.

"There's worse things in this city than the guards."

Almost on cue, the door creaked open. Everyone in the room looked over at the newcomer and Ysolda couldn't help but grin triumphantly. She gave the taller man still standing in front of her a final warning, "I implore that you leave before my friend here makes things ugly."

Farkas gave her a confused glance but didn't say anything. The group of men laughed, but Ysolda could hear the apprehension. "And what's this milk drinker gonna do?"

Ysolda crossed her arms, "He's a member of the Circle in Jorrvaskr. He can throw your asses in the Dragonsreach dungeon if I ask him to."

"Can you?"

"Yeah, I can actually," Farkas said. He put his hand on the pommel of his sword at his side and Ysolda could see a few of the men shudder. "Can you please go?."

The tall man took a step forward, hands on his hips, "You gotta do more than that, whelp."

Farkas sighed and shook his head, "It's been a long time since anyone's called me that." He stretched his arms high above his head until Ysolda heard a crack. She could barely see him move, but there was a second's delay before the man doubled over. Farkas turned towards the others, "Are we done now?"

None of the remaining men said a thing as they gathered up their friend. Ysolda smiled as she watched them scuttle out the door. She glanced back at Olfina and Jon in the corner. Both looked relived and Ysolda couldn't have been happier.

"What was that about?" Farkas asked.

"Rowdy customers," Ysolda paused, "You're lucky you came in when you did. I was starting to think I'd have nothing to back up my claim."

"Oh," Farkas muttered. There was an exasperated smile on his face and Ysolda couldn't help but smile with him. "I come here for food and some how I get roped into more work."

Giving him soft pat on the shoulder, Ysolda went into the kitchen, dragging him behind her. She looked around the various kitchen supplies before taking out a large skillet. "I'm sorry about what happened in there."

"I know. I was just giving you a hard time. Even if I didn't show up, I know you could have handled it," he paused, "You're just as strong as I am, you know?"

"Thanks," Ysolda mumbled, not turning around to look at Farkas. Her cheeks were probably lit up like torches. Farkas wouldn't have said anything; no jokes, no judgment, but she still couldn't help but feel self-conscious. With a twirl, Ysolda turned to face him anyways. "What did you want to eat?"

Farkas shrugged, "I didn't think that far ahead. Have you had anything yet?"

"Not hungry," Ysolda admitted. She shuffled through some of the bins Hulda kept around the kitchen. She paused, "How about egg toast?"

The big Nord furrowed his eyebrows, "Isn't that usually something you have for breakfast?"

"Doesn't matter. I've got eggs and fresh bread right here."

"Well, all right then," Farkas said excitedly. Ysolda didn't waste any time in heating the skillet and whisking the eggs. With an expert hand, she drenched slices of bread in the eggy concoction and placed them in the pan to fry. As soon as white steam began to rise from the slices, she flipped them till the other side was crispy golden. Farkas eyed the plate hungrily as she brought it over to the table.

Farkas didn't say much as he ate, taking his time to savor the toast. Ysolda propped her chin on a free hand. "Are we meeting up tonight?"

Pausing, Farkas narrowed his eyes. "Probably not. Kodlak wants me to join him at Dragonsreach tonight."

Ysolda grumbled, "It's probably going to be a late night then. How about I come with you?"

"All right," Farkas answered, twirling a bit of his toast on a fork before eating it. "I don't see why you shouldn't be able to go."

"It's a date then!" Ysolda exclaimed. She grinned widely as she took Farkas' hand. The Nord hummed affirmatively. She looked down at the table again, noting the grain of the wood. Her fingers tapped the wood rhythmically before looking back to Farkas. "How long are we going to carry on like this?"  
Farkas furrowed his eyebrows in confusion, "You're gonna have to explain."

"Farkas, how long are we going to stay like this? Only seeing each other for a few hours every other day or so." She paused, "I don't think it's enough anymore."

He huffed as he rubbed the bottom half of his face. Ysolda noticed the concern on Farkas' face. He faced he suddenly with a sheepish grin. "To be honest, I hoped maybe we would get married or something," Farkas began to stammer for words, "But, uh, not for a while at least. I don't want to rush anything or scare you off. Too important."

The grin came back to Ysolda's face. She couldn't help but chuckle to herself, "You're worried about that?"

"Well, yeah."

"I guess I can understand that. I can wait, Farkas, but not for long," Ysolda said softly. She kissed his hand and watched him smile a final time before she stood up to clean up the kitchen.

She heard him speak quietly from the table, "You won't have to wait long, Ysolda."

…

Ysolda sat awkwardly in her seat as she watched the nobles at the head of the hall. Jarl Balgruuf looked around the room periodically, expression increasingly paranoid. She wasn't sure if anyone else noticed the Jarl through the din of the noise. The room was merry, but something was off.

She looked up as she felt a hand landed on her shoulder. She gave Farkas a quick kiss on the cheek as he sat down next to her. Kodlak gave Ysolda a small nod of acknowledgment when he sat down on the other side of Farkas. The three of them sat in awkward silence as Farkas and Kodlak looked around the room for the Jarl. Kodlak's face turned grim when he saw how nervous Balgruuf had become.

Ysolda's fingers tapped the wooden table top rhythmically, "I didn't expect so many people tonight. There isn't some sort of celebration going on is there?"

Farkas shrugged, "No, not this time of year. Something else is going on. Kodlak?"

The old man sighed, propping an elbow on the table. "Balgruuf was expecting an envoy from Windhelm."

"What's that got to do with us? I thought we were neutral in the war," Farkas retorted. Ysolda continued to listen quietly.

"We are," Kodlak paused, "The Jarl wanted some of the Circle members here tonight though. Something to with extra muscle."

Ysolda hummed discontentedly, "He's just using the Companions as a scare tactic. What happened to the others though? They should be here too."

"All gone. Aela hasn't been in Jorrvaskr for days; she could be on her way to Blackmarsh for all we know."

"And Vilkas?"

Farkas shrugged, "Still in Solitude or Markarth or where ever it was. I don't really remember." He leaned back into his seat and sighed. "This messenger sure is taking their damn time. Haven't even shown their face yet."

Clicking her tongue, Ysolda shook her head. She gave Kodlak a side eyed glance, "Why the wait though? May as well get this over with."

"It's useless political posturing. I don't get it," Farkas huffed.

Kodlak shook his head, "No one does. And people wonder why the war has gone on so long. It'd do the world some good if they were up front about what they wanted."

"Oblivion would sooner open up again before they start doing that," Ysolda whispered as the room went quiet. Farkas perked up as he looked over to the doors, Ysolda's eyes following his gaze instinctively. She went cold as she saw the group of men from the inn making their way up to the head of the hall. Ysolda grabbed tightly onto Farkas' arm when she recognized them, "What are they doing here?"

"Must be the envoy," Farkas said, voice quiet. "Who'd have thought?"

Ysolda didn't respond as she watched the newcomers at the head of the room. The jarl steeled himself for a yelling match as the Dunmeri housecarl behind him kept a hand on the hilt of her sword. The envoy shrugged, "No need to be so serious, Jarl Balgruuf. We're only a few minutes late."

"A few minutes? More about two hours. I'm a busy man; what does Ulfric want of me?"

There was an audible sigh from the envoy, making Ysolda shiver. "My own jarl sent a gift. It's up to you whether you accept or not."

"Gods, not this," Balgruuf muttered.

The envoy chuckled as he had one of his friends unwrap a parcel they'd been holding onto. He took the axe and held it aloft in the air. "It's time for you to choose, Balgruuf. You've been putting it off long enough."

The Jarl was frozen in place, "He isn't bluffing this time."

"Not at all. Answer now, we've no time to waste."

"I don't get the luxury of talking to my advisors?" Balgruff asked. The room remained silent and the Jarl rubbed his face with a free hand. "Sending that back to Ulfric may as well be siding with the Empire."

"That will be the only way my High King will take it."

Everyone in the room watched as Balgruuf swiped the axe from the envoy's hand. No one moved, no one said anything as they waited for the Jarl to move again. Without another wasted moment, Balgruuf tossed the axe at his side where it landed with a loud clatter. Ysolda could hear gasps in the crowd, but she couldn't bring herself to say anything.

"Tell Ulfric he can go to Oblivion for all I care."

The envoy spun on his heel to face the crowd, not even bothering to hide the sneer on his face. "Listen here people of Whiterun! Your fool of a Jarl has just doomed you all. Whiterun will burn and the Empire will let you burn with it when the Stormcloaks come to take what belongs to them." The envoy paused, gaze moving across the crowd, "To Oblivion with all of you."

He stalked back down the steps leading to the door as one of his lackeys rushed to retrieve the axe. Balgruuf was already retreating to his private quarters followed by his steward and housecarl. Everyone else was left muttering amongst themselves. Ysolda could still feel chills on the back of her neck. She drew closer to Farkas, who only tugged her closer.

She breathed out sharply, "What just happened?"

Farkas shook his head, "Nothing good."


	39. Chapter 39

Valleri listened to the pitter patter of the rain hitting the worn cobblestone road in front of her. She was soaked through by now. The pale red fabric of her cloak turned dark red with rain water, collar pulled up high around her neck. There was no helping it though, the Imperial knew she was going to be soaking the moment it started raining earlier that afternoon. It was late evening now.

Vilkas walked quietly behind her. A glum look had been on his face as soon as the rain started. She looked back at him over her shoulder. The poor man looked like a wet dog. Valleri wasn't lost on the irony.

"We're not going to be making it to Whiterun tonight," Vilkas muttered. He paused in the middle of the road and began to take in their surroundings.

Sighing, Valleri spun on her heel to face him. "Are you sure? If we continue on through the night, we could probably make it back to town tomorrow afternoon."

"No," Vilkas paused, "I'd rather find somewhere to sleep for the night. This is miserable."

The rain seemed to pour down harder around them. Valleri squinted through the gloom. Vilkas was barley visible in front of her. "We passed Rorikstead hours ago," Valleri mumbled.

"There's an abandoned farm up there somewhere," Vilkas explained, gesturing up the road. "Travelers use it every once in a while. Maybe we'll find some food while we're there."

"That'd be nice."

"Aye, it would. Come on, let's go," Vilkas said curtly, taking the lead as the two of them continued up the road. Valleri stuck closer to Vilkas' side. She couldn't see anything in the dark and Vilkas' eyesight was much better. He knew where he was going. Or at least she thought so.

Vilkas nearly missed the smaller side road that led up a hill where the farm house was. Valleri nearly slipped in the mud, hand instinctively reaching out for Vilkas' arm. He grumbled as he helped the Imperial woman up. Valleri only rolled her eyes in response.

She could now make out the shape of the farm house just up ahead. Vilkas was right, the place was abandoned. The front door opened with a squeal and made the Imperial cringe to herself. A thick layer of dust covered the furniture and kitchen utensils.

Letting out a cough, Valleri lit a few of the oil lamps scattered around the room. Now that her surroundings were brought enough to see, Valleri looked around. The house was almost a perfect replica of the bandit hideout she and Vilkas stayed at not long before. She shivered at the memories of those particular few nights.

The Imperial woman turned when she heard Vilkas clambering around the small hearth. Within minutes, Vilkas was able to stoke a large enough fire for the house to become marginally comfortable. Still the cold clung to her. Valleri looked over her shoulder to Vilkas, eyebrow arching when she saw Vilkas taking off his shedding off his soaking armor.

The man paused before taking off his shirt, "You should probably do the same, you know."

Valleri sighed, leaning against the wall. "I will."

"You'll end up sick."

"I've been around worse and did just fine," Valleri turned over to Vilkas, "Some rain isn't going to do anything to me." She laughed when Vilkas gave her a curt glance and his scowl melted into fond exasperation. Valleri's hands shook as she unclasped her cloak and set it down on a spare chair.

She scuttled closer to the fire, side stepping the pieces of armor still scattered on the floor. Most of the barrels and crates around the hearth were empty. There would be no dinner tonight. Vilkas gave a her a questioning look. The Imperial only shook her head, "It's not the worst thing in the world."

"I'd like to disagree."

"Well, if you want to go outside and scrounge for a bit, that's up to you," Valleri offered bitterly. She pushed some hair behind her ear and pulled her tunic above her head. Her chilled skin prickled against the warmth that now filled the room. Valleri couldn't help but shiver as she acclimated to the temperature. She looked over her shoulder only catch Vilkas' eyes following the curve of her back.

The man's face turned a light shade of pink as he made eye contact with Valleri. "No, I'm not that desperate," he managed to stammer out. He grabbed a blanket from the bed and tossed it over the woman's back. "Here, take this."

Valleri nodded as she took it and pulled a chair close to the hearth. She sighed as she leaned back in the chair. It wasn't long before Vilkas took a seat next to her. The Nord breathed in sharply. Valleri looked over with a smirk, "You're not tired already, are you?"

He shook his head, stoking the fire with a spare poker. "No, just exhausted."

"Good thing we stopped then."

"Yes. But," Vilkas paused for a moment, "to be honest I think just in general though. I'm getting tired of what's happening."

"With the Companions?" Valleri questioned. Vilkas didn't say anything, only nodded his head as he looked into the fire. "Why not just take a break? Get out of Skyrim for a while?"

"I've thought about it before," Vilkas admitted quietly. "I was thinking of heading to Morrowind several years ago."

"What happened?"

"Not sure. I just never went. Maybe some other time though." Vilkas hummed as he leaned forward in the chair. "You're going back to Cyrodiil though?"

"I have to," Valleri said. "It was home for so long. Besides there are things I left back at the house I'd like to have if I have to move permanently."

"Things? Really?"

Valleri shrugged, "Well, nothing too important. Just some old books and what not. Oh, and there was this old wlekynd stone pendant Lex made for me." Valleri paused and looked back over to Vilkas. He didn't say anything, but was still looking at her expectantly. She continued, "Lexius was able to filch one from Alastaros' office and made it sort of for a congratulatory gift."

"What for?"

"I'd just finished my first expedition with them. Lex wanted to celebrate." Valleri threw another log onto the fire. Sparks flew up into the chimney as the flames hissed in protest. "I dunno; it has sentimental value."

"What about people though?"

Valleri furrowed her eyebrows, "Well, I didn't have anyone really, but Lex and Alastaros did." Vilkas shot her another questioning glance. "Skeeva was Alastaros' husband. And Lex had a fiancé named Rostam."

"You've told me about Skeeva before. He was the Argonian, right?"

"Yeah," Valleri paused, smiling, "I didn't think you'd remember." Vilkas shrugged indifferently. Valleri's grin grew wider. "He's waiting back in Anvil I suppose."

"He was sort of like a second father then? Since he was married to Alastaros?" Vilkas asked The Nord furrowed his eyebrows, "Have you thought about sending him a letter or something to let him know you're okay at least?"

Valleri cringed, shoulders slumping. "I have, but…"

"But what?" Vilkas pestered. Valleri didn't say anything. "If he's family, Skeeva has a right to know what happened."

"He does; I'm not disagreeing. It's just that every time I try to put pen to paper, I never know what I'm supposed to tell him," Valleri said. She began to gesture widely, "I can't just tell Skeeva that Alastaros may or may not be alive. Wouldn't an indefinite answer just make things worse in the long run?"

"It's been several months, Val."

"Listen, don't guilt trip me," the Imperial snapped. Valleri paused, glaring at Vilkas through narrowed eyes. "I'm very aware of how long it's been."

"Just trying to help," Vilkas muttered. He paused and looked back at the hearth, "Why didn't Skeeva go with you three in the first place though? You mentioned he taught you how to use a sword."

The woman sighed and brought the blanket closer around her shoulders. "Skeeva almost died during an expedition years before I met him. Lex said that Alastaros was so scared after that they agreed that Skeeva would start taking it easy. He grows tomatoes in the back garden now."

"What about Rostam?"

"I wouldn't know where to even find them, much less know what to say in a letter," Valleri said glumly. Vilkas threw her a confused glance. "They're a sailor based out of Stros M'kai. I couldn't tell you where he is half the time."

"How in the world did the two of them get engaged then?"

Valleri shrugged, "I dunno. I was just glad they did, you know?" The woman sighed again, "Regardless, it's probably best to tell Rostam what happened to Lexius in person."

Vilkas breathed in sharply before standing up, "You could always have Skeeva tell Rostam."

"Is this your way of telling me to write a letter home, huh?" Valleri chuckled dryly. "I could. It wouldn't be the best way to tell them what's happened to their fiancé."

"You'll figure it out. Besides, better now than never."

Valleri watched Vilkas stretch his arms up high above his head. His fingertips brushed the top ceiling, bones popping as he did so. His tunic still clung to his skin, but was for the most part dry. He gave the Imperial a questioning glance as he held his arm in the air.

Valleri closed her eyes and chuckled, "Sorry, I didn't mean to stare." Vilkas cocked an eyebrow, letting himself fall into a more relaxed position. Valleri turned in her chair, "Are you going to bed?"

"I was thinking about it. I was hoping we could start for Whiterun early tomorrow."

"Makes sense. Take the bed," Valleri offered.

The Nord paused as he glanced between his friend and the bed. "I had the bed last time. We should switch. It wouldn't be fair otherwise."  
Valleri shrugged before getting up from the chair. "We could share it. The bed's not that small."

She watched Vilkas' eyes grow wide as he looked at her over his shoulder. The man didn't say anything for a long moment. Valleri almost wanted to laugh. Vilkas shook his head, "Nope, absolutely not."

Valleri smiled, "We've done it before. I don't see how this is any different."

"It is though. Your arm just had stitches put in and I'm still not at one hundred percent from our trip in whatever that Dwemer ruin was." Vilkas paused for a moment, his mouth now a thin frown. "Just take the damn the bed!" he finally shouted.

It was only a moment before Valleri broke down laughing. Valleri rubbed the tears from her eyes as she recomposed herself. Giving Vilkas a quick pat on the shoulder, she spoke, "Sometimes I feel like I don't understand you, Vilkas." The Imperial started off towards the bed at the other side of the room. "But if you insist," Valleri finished.

Vilkas watched her for a moment before putting out the smaller oil lamps they lit earlier in the evening. The fiery glow from the hearth soon set off a faint glow illuminating the room. Despite being able to see better in the dark, Vilkas could only barely make out Valleri sitting on the bed. Her hands moved methodically through her hair as she worked out the tangles.

The Nord sighed and tried to make a pillow out of some sheets Valleri left for him. The floor wasn't even half as comfortable as he'd hoped and Vilkas kept shifting around. Lying flat on his back, Vilkas tried to will himself asleep. Maybe he wasn't as tired as he thought.

He was staring up at the ceiling when he heard it.

Vilkas turned his head towards the bed. Valleri was still sitting up. Maybe it was her.

Was Valleri singing?

…

Valleri stared out the window as she fixed the clasp of cloak around her shoulders. Her clothes were dry for the most part. The back of her tunic was still damp however and Valleri couldn't help but feel uncomfortable when she moved.

Vilkas yawned behind her before putting his cuirass. From the bags under his eyes, Valleri assumed that he hadn't slept the previous night. She wasn't going to say anything though; the man did insist on giving her the bed.

The woman poked her head out of the door and looked up. The sky was still stormy grey but the rain was over for now.

"How's it looking out there?" Vilkas called from behind her.

Valleri shrugged. "We should be good for a while." The woman turned back to face him, "How long until we get back home?"

"Not long if we keep a fast pace."

She hummed to herself and picked up her gear before following Vilkas outside. She shivered under cloak as she left the warmth of the farm house. Valleri kept her eyes downturned towards the road as the two of them found their way back to the main road. It wasn't long before Valleri could see the outline of the city far in the distance.

Valleri began to hum as she walked.

She almost didn't notice the small raindrops falling around her until Vilkas stopped. The Nord sighed and shook his head before continuing down the road. Valleri continued to hum to herself and the rain continued to come down harder.

The sky was a dark shade of grey and the rain wasn't going to let up anytime soon. Vilkas took the first chance he got to take shelter under an overhanging rock. Valleri followed quickly, keeping her cloak close around her neck and shoulder.

She smirked as she glanced over to Vilkas, "Maybe we should have waited?"

He shook his head, "No, this is fine. It's just a minor inconvenience."

"You don't sound so sure." Valleri leaned back against the rock, trying to get as comfortable as she could. The rain wasn't going to let up anytime soon.

"Listen, I'm tired and just really want to get back," Vilkas murmured. He sighed again before stretching his arms high above his head. He brought them down again suddenly then turned to face Valleri. "Were you singing last night by any chance?"

"Why? Did I keep you up?"

"Well," Vilkas trailed off and stared at the ground with a light scowl.

Valleri chuckled to herself, "Sorry about that. I'll keep that in mind."

Neither of them said anything for a moment. Valleri rested her head against the rock wall and focused on the sound of the rain around her. Fog settled near the ground outside the rocky crag, making the scenery unreal.

"What was the song?"

"Huh?"

Vilkas didn't move to face her, "The song you were singing last night. What was it?"

Valleri paused momentarily. She spoke slowly, quietly, "It's just an old song I heard a lot growing up. Nothing special." The sound of the rain became more obvious as neither said anything. Valleri pulled her cloak closer around her to ward off the chill.

"Can you sing it for me?"

Valleri glanced confusedly at her friend. "You want me to," she paused uncertainly, "sing?"

"Yeah."

Valleri breathed out, "I'm not very good though."

"Doesn't matter."

The Imperial took a deep breath before she began. At first her voice croaked as she sung the words. Though, soon enough though, her voice cleared and she closed her eyes as she sung.

"You never heard my song before, the music was too loud

But now I think you hear me well, for now we both know how

No star can light out way in this cloud of dark and fear

But some day, one day

Funny how the pages turn and hold us in between

A misty castle waits for you and you shall be a queen

Today the cloud, it hangs over us and all is grey

But some day, one day

When I was you and you were me and we were very young

Together took us nearly there, the rest may not be sung

So still the cloud it hangs over us and we're alone

But some day, one day

We'll come home"

Valleri trailed off and opened her eyes, only to see Vilkas staring intently at her. His grey eyes were wide with what could have been wonder and it took him a moment to realize that she stopped. Valleri breathed unsteadily as she leaned back against the rock wall. Neither of them said anything after that, even after the rain let up and they started back home.

…

Vilkas sat at one of the side tables on the upper floor of Jorrvaskr. The training yard outside was nearly pitch black apart from the illuminating light of Masser high up in the sky above. There was a wavering candle next to him that provided light in the dark hall. Vilkas' eyes skimmed over the pages of an old book, but he wasn't paying nearly enough attention to understand the words on the page. Instead, he began to out the window only to be met with his own reflection. Vilkas shuddered when he was met with tired, black rimmed eyed.

Without thinking, Vilkas began to hum a slow, sweet song


	40. Chapter 40

Valleri squirmed despite every effort she took to sit still. Danica had her sitting on a wooden bench in the corner of the temple before she started working on the woman's arm. Even with Valleri's inaudible protests, Danica worked without a single grumble. Each time one of the stitches came out, Valleri could feel a strange pulling in her arm. She felt like running away each time. She felt the same way when Vilkas put the stitches in.

Valleri hated getting stitches.

Danica looked up with an entertained grin. Valleri's mood sunk further when she met the healer's eyes. "You're not enjoying this at all, are you?"

"Not at all," Valleri admitted through a grimace. The Imperial pulled her arm back when Danica put her tools down.

"I'm not even half way done." Danica sighed, "Vilkas did a number on your arm though. He's got no talent for this at all. Why'd you let him fix up your arm?"

Shrugging, Valleri spoke plainly, "It's not like I can do this stuff myself."

"Why not though?" the healer jested. "Vilkas mentioned you trained as a healer. Stitches are some of the basics."

"I'm not sure if a few sporadic days of training over the course of several years would qualify me as any sort of healer."

"What was your training like?"

Valleri breathed out sharply. She could feel her chest tighten up when she thought back far enough. Swallowing, Valleri recomposed herself enough to talk, "Mostly just helping out the chapel healer with victims of the plague we had. I didn't learn much."

"You're not kidding, are you?" Danica gasped. Valleri's serious expression didn't change as Danica studied her face. A frown grew on the healer's face, "I didn't realize you could get patients so long after…"

Valleri shrugged, "Well, as far as I know, it's all gone now. Even back when I was helping out, cases were few and far between."

"I can see why you weren't keen on continuing." Danica tilted her head in thought, "You should know how to put in stitches though considering your line of work."

"I do, don't worry."

Danica shot the younger woman a pointed stare. "I wasn't. I do have a question though."

"Yeah, shoot."

"Do you remember anything about the plague?"

Valleri swallowed again as most of the warmth left her face. She rubbed the back of her neck nervously, "Well no, not really. I was born right after the war ended. Most of the plague was over by the time I could remember anything."

"That's a shame. War does terrible things to innocent bystanders," Danica muttered to herself. "I can only hope that the same thing doesn't happen here."

Valleri furrowed her eyebrows in confusion as she stared at Danica, "Wait, what?"

Danica shook her head, "Doesn't matter." She picked up her tools once more and gestured for Valleri to move her arm. "Now come on. I've got to finish this up before I forget."

The Imperial woman grimaced and slumped over as she braced herself for another round of stitch pulling. Danica chuckled to herself as she started again. It was hard for the healer to not enjoy herself.

"Hello? Danica?"

Valleri craned her head passed the healer. Danica gave her a light smack on the shoulder, prompting Valleri to lean against the wall behind her. "I'm over here Ysolda," the older woman called out, eyes not moving from her work.

Ysolda grinned as she waved at her friends. Valleri only nodded her head in acknowledgment lest Danica smack her again. Ysolda stopped in front of them, gesturing to Valleri, "Farkas was right about you guys getting back then." She paused, "What happened there?"

"I don't remember exactly," Valleri admitted. "Did you need something?"

"No, not really. You've just been gone for a while." Ysolda crossed her arms with a huff, "I just thought I'd say hi." She paused and watched Danica take the stitches out with fascination. "That's gonna scar over."

Valleri nodded her head, "I know. Right now it's sort of the least of my worries." Valleri looked up to meet Ysolda's eyes, "Did anything happen while I was gone?"

"Of course, things happened. You were gone for a month or so," Ysolda jested. "I took care of your shrine while you were away. There's a very nice wreath there now." The woman paused, "I got to try my hand at running the tavern."

"How'd that go?"

Ysolda beamed, "No problems I didn't expect. You know, rowdy customers, running out of stock. The usual."

Danica turned her head with a soft expression, "She did well. Hulda chose her successor well."

"You've been wanting to take the inn over for a while now, right?" Valleri asked. Ysolda hummed affirmatively. "Well good on you then! Anything else?"

Ysolda hugged her arms tighter around herself as her mouth turned into a thin frown. "Well…" she trailed off uncomfortably, fidgeting all the while.

"Well what? Don't tantalize me."

"Ulfric Stormcloak sent a messenger while you were away."

"Oh gods, I think I see where this is going."

"No, wait. It gets better. Jarl Balgruuf and the messenger got into an argument in front of all the nobles."

Valleri nearly leapt from her seat, snatching her arm away from Danica. The stitch Danica had been working on pulled from her arm and began to bleed while the tools clattered to the floor. Danica pushed Valleri down to the bench without missing a beat, yelling all the while, "Valleri, what the fuck are you doing? I was almost done!"

The Imperial looked down at her arm and covered the wound with her other hand. She licked her lips and glared at Ysolda, "The Jarl sided with the Imperials then?"

Ysolda nodded shakily.

Valleri sighed, "Well shit. Ulfric's going to attack. It'll be a blood bath." Valleri turned back to Danica, "This doesn't have anything to do with your questions about the plague, does it?"

The healer shook her head with a surprised expression. "Absolutely not, I was just curious. Why? Do you think that'll happen?"

The Imperial woman shrugged, "That's what happened in Anvil." She looked between Ysolda and Danica. Both women looked equally dismayed. Valleri held up her hands in reassurance, "I mean that probably wouldn't happen. It was just a thought."

"Let's hope it stays that way," Danica said. She pulled Valleri's arm close again and picked up her tools. Giving her instruments a quick rinse, Danica spoke curtly, "Now let's get this over with. Fixing up your arm has taken long enough."

…

Vilkas waited for Kodlak to finish his task in the downstairs study. His head was leaned uncomfortably against the back wall. It was difficult to keep his eyes open despite the bright yellow candle light illuminating the room. The rhythmic tapping of Kodlak's fingers against the table was enough to lull the younger Nord asleep.

Kodlak breathed out sharply then turned to face him. "You're not falling asleep already are you? It's not even time for the evening meal."

"I had a late night," Vilkas stammered out, taken off guard. He shifted in his seat, straightening his back as he did so. Vilkas groaned as he found another knot in his shoulders. He wasn't surprised, just disappointed.

"Seems as though that's becoming the norm. Should I be concerned?"

Vilkas shook his head, "No."

The older man sighed. "I can only hope. It would be shame if something happened to you." Kodlak paused for a moment, "Take it easy if you have to, Vilkas. The last few months have been difficult."

Vilkas glanced at Kodlak through heavily lidded eyes. Gesturing to the book on Kodlak's desk, Vilkas tried to change the subject. "How's the book I picked up?"

The older man perked up for a moment before realizing what Vilkas was doing. "Enlightening," he finally said. Vilkas frowned at the hard edge on the man's voice. Kodlak continued, "I think I might finally know how to return Hircine's gift."

"You're serious, aren't you?"

Nodding his head, Kodlak flipped through the book before finally landing on a page. He handed the book to Vilkas. The younger Nord skimmed over the page before looking up at Kodlak. Kodlak only sighed again, "Have you forgotten old Nordic?"

"I'm a little rusty. I don't use it nearly as much as you."

"I suppose I'll have to explain then," Kodlak muttered as he took the book back. "Returning the gift all depends on how the gift was given. In our case, Harbinger Terrfyg was the first to make a deal with a coven of witches."

Vilkas furrowed his eyebrows, "I thought he was cursed."

"To him it was gift," Kodlak explained. "Deals of that sort look different to different people. You know that."

"We have to go to the original source then?"

"Exactly!" Kodlak beamed.

Vilkas glanced at the ground momentarily before looking back to Kodlak. "The deal was made hundreds of years ago though. The witches might be gone already. They might not even be in Skyrim."

"On the contrary though. The book you got for me outlines a story of man who encountered the coven not even three decades ago. They're probably still there."

"Where?"

"In Falkreath apparently. There are more details in the book. I'd recommend you take it with you when you go."

Vilkas paused, frown growing on his face. "This isn't just for you is it?"

"It's for anyone who wants it; you and Farkas included."

"And Aela?"

"After what happened with Skjor, it's up to her. I can't make that decision."

Vilkas sighed before resting his head on a free hand. "I should probably leave sooner rather than later. I'll talk to Farkas about it the next time I see him." Vilkas stretched his arms before getting out of the chair.

"Vilkas?"

The younger Nord turned around before he left the study. Kodlak had a strange look on his face Vilkas couldn't place. It was almost as if the Harbinger was trying to ask him to stay.

"Yes?"

"I'm proud of you and I always have been. I'm just sorry that I forced this on you without letting you choose your own path."

Vilkas' chest tightened as he tried to search for the right words. A grin came to face as he stuttered, "Thank you, but you don't have to worry about that. You make sound like you're going to die or something, Kodlak. I'll be seeing you tomorrow."

The strange tightness only continued to grow as Vilkas left the room. Everything was fine he kept reminding himself as he walked. If everything was fine, why did he feel like crying?

…

Valleri sat up right in her bunk as she worked through the tangles in her hair. As her hair continued to grow longer, the knots always became worse. Valleri gotten a trim in a while and the curly locks were too long for comfort. She'd have to ask Ysolda to take care of it. Still for now working through the knots and tangles was a welcome time to let her mind wander. This time, the Imperial's mind wandered far enough off that she didn't notice someone come into the bunkroom.

"Hey, Val?"

Valleri craned her head around the partition to see Vilkas peering into the room with a worried look his face. Something about his expression made her stomach drop.

"Yeah, I'm still awake."

She didn't move as Vilkas came around. He scrunched his eyes as he looked around the small space. "It's so bright in here."

Valleri gestured to the candle she had lit next to the bunk, "I can't see like you do. What'd you need?"

Vilkas looked at the ground uncertainly and didn't say anything. Valleri noticed the way he crossed his arms and picked at his nails nervously. He took a deep breath in before speaking, "I don't know anymore. Never mind."

The Nord was about to leave the room before Valleri stopped him. "Wait up!" the Imperial exclaimed too loudly for comfort.

Vilkas turned back around, "Yes?"

"Something's bothering you, right?" Valleri guessed. Vilkas looked away from her, confirming Valleri's suspicion. She sighed, "Tell me what's going on." The Imperial got up from the bunk and waited for Vilkas to follow her out of the room. He was slower than usual, staring at the ground as he walked. "What's keeping you up?" Valleri prodded.

"I don't know anymore. My mind's all over the place," Vilkas admitted.

Valleri peered into Farkas' bunkroom as she passed. "He's not here tonight, is he?"

"No, he's at Ysolda's place tonight." Vilkas paused, "It's one less person to focus on. Everything feels too quiet."

Valleri looked back at him with a confused expression, "Quiet?"

"I can hear everything going on in these rooms. The absence," he paused again, "There's something wrong with it. It's like I'm out in the open. Like I'm about to be ambushed."

Valleri went into Vilkas' bunk room and sat on the bed, leaning her head against the back wall. She stared at Vilkas. The man stood frozen in the doorway with a sick look on his face, "What?"

The Imperial sighed, "There's more. Otherwise I wouldn't be here." She gestured to the other side of the bed, "Now get over here, or I won't be able to hear you."

Reluctantly, the big Nord sulked over the bed. Valleri looked him over and nodded her head, "Well?"

Vilkas didn't say anything for a moment, looking down at the bed. "I dunno what's wrong exactly, but Kodlak found out how to reverse the beast blood. I thought I'd be happy about it, but I just can't help but think that something horrible is going to happen."

"Like what?"

Shaking his head, Vilkas looked across the room, "Like I'm going to lose someone. Kodlak started talking like he was going to die and Farkas is gone so much recently."

"Like you're completely alone then?" Valleri added.

Vilkas paused and looked at her with wide eyes. He stammered, "Exactly." He paused again, averting his eyes to Valleri. "It seems so trivial when I say it out loud."

Valleri scowled as she glanced back at him, "Vilkas, no. Don't ever say that!" Taking a deep breath in, she waited for Vilkas to look back at her. Her scowl melted into a sorrow as she continued, "Losing someone you love is horrifying. I know that from experience. With what little I know and remember about my mother, then Alastaros and Lex… You have every right to feel that way. It's inevitable, and it hurts. It hurts so much." Valleri paused and took one Vilkas' hands, "Losing someone even just for a little bit is never trivial."

Valleri sunk as she let go of Vilkas' hand. Her eyes fell to the bed beneath her. In a quiet voice, she said, "I only hope it won't hurt when I have to go too."

Vilkas let her words sink in for a moment. He couldn't help his shaky breathing and the tightness in his chest felt worse than before.

"Can you stay here tonight?"

"Yeah."

The Nord waited for Valleri to drift asleep besides him before snuffing out the candle. He brushed some of her hair out of her face before leaning his back against the wall. Even in the dark, he could see her silhouette perfectly.

"I'm going to hate losing you."


	41. Chapter 41

Valleri rubbed her eyes as she woke up. She was facing an unfamiliar wall. The blankets weren't sprawled all over the bed or twisted around her legs like usual. Someone must have placed them over her. That wasn't normal.

The mattress groaned creakily as a person sat down suddenly on the foot of the bed. Confused, Valleri rolled over and propped herself as best as she could on her elbow. Vilkas glanced in her direction as he laced up a boot. Memories of their conversation the night before started to come back.

For some reason though, Valleri still felt awkward, almost embarrassed. "Am I late?" she asked finally, though she didn't bother to move.

The Nord continued to mess with his boot, "Late for what?"

"I dunno. You're already up and messing about. I figured I was late for something." She flopped backwards onto the pillow with a thud.

Vilkas shrugged before rising back up to a sitting position. He turned his head to look at her. "It's not even light outside yet. No one's going to be up for a few hours at least. Go back to sleep if you want."

Staring up at him, Valleri hummed. "I don't want to move back to my bed though; it's all cold."

"I never said you had to leave."

Valleri narrowed her eyes with disappointment. "I know, but it feels like something is missing."

"Yeah, there is. It's me. It's my bed," Vilkas jested. He finished up lacing up his other boot and stood up. Valleri's eyes followed him around the room. The

Companion methodically donned his armor and strapped his great sword to his back in only a few quick minutes. Vilkas kept all of his equipment in strategic parts of the room, making it easy for him to stay in one place while suiting up.

Valleri had fond memories of Vilkas chiding her for leaving her own stuff scattered around the mead hall.

The Imperial propped her cheek on a free hand and sighed. "Where are you going anyhow?"

"Out on a job. Doesn't matter."

"How long?"

"A week or so."

Valleri grinned, "You don't expect me to keep your bed warm while you're away then, will you?"

She chuckled as Vilkas tilted his head in consideration, though she could see a light pink tint on his cheeks. He turned back with a grin mirroring her own, "I was sort of hoping you would actually."

Valleri's eyes went wide as the expression on her face turned to shock. "Wait, are you joking?" she stuttered.

Vilkas stepped back, eyes wide and face bright, "Were you?"

"I … was."

"So was I."

Valleri turned back to the pillow in front of her as she pulled the blankets closer around her neck. She was now painfully aware of how much her heart was thumping against her chest. She perked up again, this time sitting up right, "You want me to come with you?"

Vilkas paused and looked down for a long moment before saying anything. His voice was sharp and nervous, like he was caught off guard. "No, I'm fine. Kodlak said the less people the better."

Valleri paused, furrowing her eyebrows. "Vilkas? What exactly are you doing?"

The Nord turned back to the Imperial, his mouth a nervous, thin line, "Nothing important. It's fine, don't worry about it."

Valleri glared at the floor. "It doesn't make me feel any better."

"I know," Vilkas answered before he started for the door. "It's not like anything horrible is going to happen this time, though. You said so yourself."

"That doesn't mean things change, Vilkas."

The Nord looked back over his shoulder, "Talk straight, Valleri."

She paused, all warmth leaving her. "I dunno. The way you're leaving doesn't…" Valleri looked down again and shook her head, "Just never mind. It doesn't matter."

"If you say," Vilkas mumbled as he left.  
Valleri stole a glance at his back as he left the bunkroom. Somehow, nothing felt good about watching him go. The Imperial sighed as she stayed seated; what in the world was wrong with her?

…

Vilkas stared up the hill with a scowl on his face. Rain poured down around him and by now the Nord was soaked through. The book Kodlak lent him for the trip was tucked away into a bag. Under no circumstances was Vilkas allowed to get the book wet. This made finding the cave more difficult than he thought; since he had to go with out looking for any references written inside.

Now, after several hours of searching blindly, Vilkas stood at the foot of a steep hill leading up to the cave the witches called home. The outside was oddly bleaker than the surrounding forest. Even without the rain, Vilkas would have thought the cave was the entrance to Oblivion.

It wasn't as though this was the worst place Vilkas had been in and it wasn't as though he didn't want to be here.

This trip was for a good cause.

Still, the Nord didn't feel exactly good about this either. After his conversation with Valleri, he thought things were looking up. Farkas was mostly ambivalent when Vilkas told him the news the next morning. Like usual, his brother withdrew and walked away, leaving Vilkas unsure. Kodlak was no where to be seen.

Vilkas shook his head before starting up the hill. Any distractions could lead to bad accidents. Especially when someone was alone.

The entrance the cave was damp and water dripped onto the back of his neck. Chills ran down the Nord's neck. Vilkas was already soaked through and the lack of warmth wasn't going to do anything for him. Vilkas' eyes adjusted easily to the lack of light as he entered. The tunnel wound downwards at least several hundred yards. Cave walls dripped all around him, echoing deeper with in the tunnels.

It wasn't long before Vilkas reached the end of the tunnel and came to an open chamber. He paused, staying close to the wall, and looked around. As massive as the cavern was, it was empty. Vilkas stepped out of the tunnel with a huff. None of this was right. A singular cavern with only a few spiders was far from what Vilkas would consider a witch coven. Besides, the account in the book mentioned a lavish cave system.

Squinting through the gloom, Vilkas couldn't help but regret not brining a torch of some kind. Even with his eyesight, he couldn't make anything out.

Then his ears caught it. In the far distance, he could hear scraping. It was too even to be random. It was coming closer too. Vilkas held his breath as he stepped back into the first tunnel.

The scraping noise finally entered the larger cavern along with raspy breathing. Vilkas could now barely make out a hunched skinny figure pausing to sniff the air. The thing turned its head towards the tunnel.

Chills went down Vilkas' spine and time slowed to a creep.

His hand went to the hilt of his sword behind his left shoulder and held it there. The thing turned it head back to the side and slunk off into the shadows. Vilkas didn't let himself relax until the creature could be heard stalking down another tunnel.

At least he knew the book was right.

Tentatively, Vilkas stepped forward. It took him a moment before he found the tunnel the creature had come from. Water that condensed on the cave wall trickled down to the ground to form a small stream. The Nord paused half way down, narrowing his eyes. There was light at the end of the tunnel. He kept close to the wall as he descended further, only stopping a few feet from the exit. Vilkas could hear chattering and scraping in front of him.

Peering into the cave, Vilkas could make out several makeshift huts behind a small pond in the center of the cavern. Vilkas' breath hitched when he saw a hagraven step out into the light. The monster carried a severed limb and Vilkas could see dark red blood dripping down onto the ground. Two more hagravens followed and the three of them settled down in the middle of the cave. He turned around in the tunnel and began to walk back. The other one he'd seen moments earlier could come back any second.

Vilkas didn't make a foot back the way he came before he heard it. Behind him, gravely, screechy voices began to chant.

"We smells it, we hears it. We smells it, we hears it."

Vilkas looked over his shoulder to see that the hagravens were active again. They looked about their cavern excitedly, still chanting. The first one stared towards the tunnel and addressed the others, "We needs to sees it. Sees it, sees it, sees it."

The Nord steadied himself and began to trace his steps to the first cave. they could lose interest in him and he'd be free to go after the straggler. Vilkas' pace quickened the farther up the tunnel he got. Before he knew it though, Vilkas' back foot got caught on a rock. The Nord fell backwards, grasping at the moss on the wall for balance. His back hit the tunnel sides with a clang and Vilkas could feel the back of his head hit the rock. The room began to spin as he groaned.

"Its there! Its there!"

Vilkas clamored up to his feet as he heard the hagravens running over. They were screaming unintelligibly and Vilkas couldn't help but panic. He began sprinting up the tunnel again when he saw the shadowy figure at the exit.

"Terrfyg is returned. Give us eyes!" the final hagraven screamed.

Vilkas didn't have to turn around to know that the other three were already behind him.

Without hesitation, Vilkas pulled his sword from his back and charged the hagraven in front of him. It squealed as Vilkas' thrust made it past it's ribs. He pulled the blade out quickly, pushing him of kilter again. Vilkas fumbled to regain balance as one of the hagravens clawed at his back.

Vilkas yelled loudly as the head of the hagraven in front of him landed on the ground. In another motion, the Nord snatched the head up by the hair and sprinted towards the cave's exit. The three hagravens behind him were infuriated. They clamored over each other, swiping at air as they tried to pull him back.

Vilkas nearly toppled over as he ran through the cave's exit. He leaned against the rock face, allowing himself to catch his breath finally. He looked down at the head in his hand. Beady, red eyes stared up at him and the thing's mouth was hung open. In the background, Vilkas could hear the other three hagravens running after him.

Vilkas sighed and began to take off towards the open road, slipping the head into a spare cloth bag. The inhumane screams of the bird women were far beyond him in minutes and Vilkas could finally relax. The walk back to Whiterun was only going to take a few days, but Vilkas wanted to get back quickly.  
A lot could happen in only few days.

…

Kodlak paused when he made it to the top of the stairs. Despite the late hour, someone left the lights on. He moved passed the first few support beams and towards the table dominating the middle of the room. He sighed.

Valleri was sleeping with her head down on the table and arms stretched across the wood table top.

The old warrior approached her quietly and shook her awake. The Imperial woman lifted her head with a groan. She turned her head to look at him from under heavy lids. "Kodlak?"

"You should be in your bunk," Kodlak paused, placing a hand on her shoulder. "What are you doing up here anyways?"

Valleri stared across the room groggily. Kodlak could almost see the cogs turning in her head as she stayed silent. Finally, Valleri breathed out sharply, "I was sitting down for a bit before heading downstairs. Guess I must have dozed off." She turned back to Kodlak with wide eyes, "What time is it?"

"It's late. I'll go down with you."

Kodlak watched Valleri carefully. The woman's expression turned melancholic, eyes narrowing as she stared towards the door. She didn't move as Kodlak took a seat next to her.

"You were gone for the day, if I remember." Valleri hummed affirmatively as Kodlak continued. "Anywhere in particular?"

"Not really. Just out of the city for a bit," Valleri muttered. She glanced over to Kodlak, "Hey, where did you send Vilkas off to anyways?"

"You ask me now, huh?" Kodlak jested. He stroked his beard with a smirk. Valleri only furrowed her eyebrows in disappointment while she waited for the old man to answer. Kodlak chuckled when he looked back at her. "I sent him to Falkreath to pick something up."

"What was he getting exactly?"

"Not important."

The woman crossed her arms with a huff, saying, "If you say so."

Kodlak tapped the wooden table top absentmindedly, propping his head on his hand. "A courier was here earlier. He had a letter for you." He paused and saw the Imperial's expression turn hopeful. He continued, "It was from Markarth."

"You didn't read it, did you?"

The old warrior shook his head, "No. The letter is on my desk downstairs. It's about your relic isn't it?"

Valleri smiled fondly, "It is. With any luck, the necklace is still in whatever ruin Aicantar found and so will Lex and Alastaros."

"What happens after?"

"Back to Cyrodiil. The end goal was never the necklace," Valleri added, looking over to Kodlak with a renewed light in her eyes. "The necklace was only a key to a chamber we found by chance in Sedor."

"What's so important about the chamber?"

The Imperial woman laughed, "Kodlak, that's like asking a Nord why Ysgramor was so important!"

Kodlak couldn't help but smile with her, "Well? Are you going to keep me on edge or not?"

"No. Sedor was one of the last standing Ayleid cities during the Alessian rebellion. I forget the name of the king and a lot of the history is lost, but the king ended up losing the fortress to Pelinal Whitestrake. Unfortunately, the place was abandoned not even a few months after." Valleri paused, "Alastaros and I found the records of his vassals right before they lost saying that the king had something sealed inside."

"It doesn't sound very plausible to me," Kodlak muttered.

"You know, that's what Skeeva said. Alastaros thought otherwise and now here we are." Valleri said with a click of her tongue.

"Where would you be if you never came?"

The Imperial glanced across the room with a scowl. "To be honest, I was hoping to leave Anvil for the Imperial City after we found out what was in Sedor. Maybe I should have just left anyways."

"You didn't though. You're here and you refuse to leave until your business is done," Kodlak said in a stately matter. Valleri's scowl deepened and she glanced at Kodlak from the side of her eye. "Have your plans changed after this?"

"I dunno really. I'd like to stay, but I have other places I need to go to." Valleri paused momentarily, cutting off Kodlak's reply, "Even though your offer of becoming a full Companion is still open, I assume, I'm not necessarily in a place to accept."

Shrugging, the old man tried to smirk, "That's unfortunate."

"Who knows? I might come back. Until then I'm still here." Valleri chuckled to herself as she propped her arm on the table. "Who knew you guys would get so attached to an outsider!"

"Yes, who knew?" Kodlak slapped the table and got up from his seat. "It's late and I'm old. My bed is calling. Sleep when you can." He began to walk back to the lower floor when he heard Valleri call out behind him.

"Hey, Kodlak! Make sure Vilkas doesn't do anything stupid after I go."

The old man looked over his shoulder to see that Valleri had a wide gin on her face. Kodlak only shook his head and sighed. He muttered another good night before finally returning to the gloom.

He knew that she'd still be the one to watch over their friend


	42. Chapter 42

The bag in Vilkas' hand swung to and fro and he exited the room he stayed in the night before. The Sleeping Giant Inn was still empty, though Vilkas wouldn't have expected otherwise for this time of the morning. Riverwood was always empty apart form the residents in the evening. No one around here had time during the day to drink.

The lack of people and the inn keeper's tendency to keep quiet to were two of the many reasons Vilkas preferred staying in Riverwood to most places in Skyrim.

Vilkas placed the bag in front of him as he leaned onto the counter at the end of the room. The usual sour looking woman regarded him with a quiet greeting. She tilted her head to look at the burlap sack. With a sigh, the inn keeper crossed her arms as she looked back up to Vilkas. "I hope that isn't blood that I see there."

"Yeah, it is."

"For the love of the eight, Companion. If there's blood on my sheets, I'm gonna double the rent. I shouldn't have to deal with this again."

Vilkas rested his elbow on the counter next to the bag, "Nothing to worry about."

"What's even in there anyways?" the inn keeper asked. Slowly, she opened the bag and looked inside. Surprised by the contents, the inn keeper stepped backwards, jaw hanging. "Why? Why do you have a severed head?"

"I was out on a job. The severed head isn't even the worst thing I've brought in here, Delphine."

The inn keeper sighed as she watched Vilkas place the bag on the floor. I oughta start charging you Companions extra for bringing in the disgusting shit you do. Can you imagine the amount of business I'd lose if people knew I had severed heads on my bar?"

"Not much, trust me. You'll be fine," Vilkas jested. "Speaking of which, how much do I owe?"

"From last night or just your entire tab?" the inn keeper said with a drawn, unimpressed expression.

Vilkas shook his head, "Just last night. I don't have enough on me to clear my tab."

"A real shame, Companion. It's just ten for the night," the inn keeper muttered. She watched Vilkas rifle around in his pocket for the spare septims. Her expression softened while the inn keeper continued, "You have time for something to eat?"

Looking up, Vilkas furrowed his eyebrows. He shook his head, "I don't think so. I need to get leaving."

"Is it the head? How long have you been carrying it around?"  
Vilkas shrugged, "A day or two. But no, I just need to get this to the Harbinger."

"Sounds like a strange job," the inn keeper quipped.

"It's, uh," Vilkas paused, absentmindedly running his hand through his hair. "It's not a job. It's a personal thing."

The inn keeper chuckled to herself dryly. "That's new for you Companion types isn't it?"

"Stuff it, Delphine," the Nord muttered in a flat tone. He placed a few extra septims on the counter in front of him. Delphine looked at him from the side of her eyes with a smirk. "Food for the road is probably a good idea."

"Sure thing," the inn keeper muttered. She went to the shelves behind the counter and started gathering Vilkas' provisions. "Hey, I know you're one of those fancy Companions and what not, but be careful on your way back."

"Why the warning?"

The inn keeper sighed as she came back to the counter, "A month or two ago, some sort of large creature came through our town. Killed a whole bunch of livestock."

Vilkas narrowed his eyes with concern. "Did you get a good look at it?"  
"Not really. It was large, dark, and hairy. The old woman down the road kept insisting it was a werewolf. To be honest it was probably just a bear."

"Does she usually go on like?"

"Usually. You know how old folks get," the inn keeper laughed. She tilted her head and waved Vilkas off dismissively, "It's probably gone now, but you never know. Come to think of it though, that woman you were with last fall came through town that night. Said she was looking for a missing friend. You know anything about that?"

Vilkas felt his stomach sink. He knew exactly what the inn keeper was talking about. His skin went cold as he tried not too think too much. "Yeah, Valleri's fine. Nothing happened," Vilkas choked out, voice raspy.

The inn keeper didn't seem to notice his change in demeanor, though if she did, Vilkas wouldn't have known. "Good to hear. I've got your food here, if you're still interested."

"Yeah, thanks," Vilkas mumbled as he took the small bag from the inn keeper. The Nord moved in a haze and almost didn't hear the door slam shut behind him as he left.

…

Valleri leaned against the side of her homemade shrine while she waited for the candle to burn out. Since the Imperial got back home, she tried to make a point of being more proactive about keeping the shrine clean and tended. Dibella would hopefully appreciate it and it made Valleri feel better about herself.

Staying out in the cold so that her candle wouldn't set the surrounding plains on fir wasn't exactly appealing though. The wind was unusually strong and the Valleri's candle already almost fell several times already. The dead brush didn't make her feel sure enough to walk away and it was rude to snuff out a shrine candle. All Valleri could do was keep her cloak close around her and wait for the wick to burn down.

The Imperial woman leaned her head back, looking up to the sky. A few clouds drifted by, leaving only open blue. Occasionally a bird would fly by. The sunlight did little to warm up the scenery around her and Valleri could still see her breath if she looked close enough.

It was already First Seed and it didn't even feel like spring yet.

Valleri was aware she was more acclimated to the climate of southern Cyrodiil. But she had no idea the cold would last this long. Wasn't the constant snow and short days enough? Did it really have to drag on and on?

She breathed out sharply, glancing over to the altar top momentarily. To her delight the wick was starting to burn down finally. Movement in the corner of her vision made Valleri focus on the road in the distance. Valleri's eyes followed the solitary figure on the road before she stood and called out.

"Hey, Companion!"

A smile came to her face as she watched the figure turn towards her. They momentarily paused before meeting her at the mouth of the overlook. Valleri almost couldn't help but laugh she came face to fac with Vilkas. The Nord looked worse than usual.

"You're back! Did you get what Kodlak wanted?"

Vilkas shrugged, "Barely. I just want to go to bed."

"Long day?"  
"Yeah, sort of."

Valleri smirked contentedly, "It's still early in the afternoon."

The Nord shook his head and Valleri noticed the heavy bags under his eyes. "I've been away too long and everything just sort of hurts. I think I deserve a rest."

"Kodlak's probably gonna agree with that. Go on ahead, I'll meet you back at Jorrvaskr," Valleri said, attempting to wave him off.

Vilkas furrowed his eyebrows in confusion, "What not just come with?"

"I'm waiting for the candle to burn out," the Imperial explained. Vilkas took a look past her and shrugged.

"Why not just snuff it out with some snow?"

"What are you saying, Vilkas?" Valleri gaped. "It's a shrine and that's one of the rudest things you can do. I'm not trying to invoke the wrath of a goddess."

"Are you sure you're not a priestess?" Vilkas jested as he leaned against the rock face next to his friend.

The two of them stood in companionable silence for a few moments before Valleri spoke up. "I got a letter back from Aicantar while you were away. He said he found a lead in journal after all," she explained and a wide grin grew on her face as she spoke. Vilkas arched an eyebrow as she paused. The grin turned into an uneasy frown as she continued, "Please don't give me that look. Aicantar said he'd meet us in Rorikstead in a week or so. If you're still interested that is." Valleri trailed off, eyes landing on the ground in front of her.

"I don't see why not. I did say I would stick it out until this wild goose chase ends. No reason to go back on my words now," Vilkas shrugged. He took a deep breath in before continuing, "You don't have to answer now, but I've been thinking about it a bit recently; I'm gonna leave the Companions for a bit after you find Alasataros and your necklace and what not. I'll probably end up leaving Skyrim too."

"You want me to come with you?" Valleri interjected.

Vilkas rubbed the back of his head, "Yeah, I do."

"Why not ask Farkas or Aela?"

"I dunno. You're just the first person who came to mind." Vilkas stepped forward, determined not to meet Valleri's eyes. He could feel the heat rise to his cheeks and he couldn't have been surer his face was already red. "Just forget I said anything."

"What? Vilkas, no."

"Just forget it."

"Vilkas, I'm sorry," she laughed, "I didn't mean to sound accusatory. I wasn't expecting that or anything."

"Exactly. Just forget I said anything. It doesn't matter."

"Vilkas, just wait a second," Valleri continued. She took hold of his wrist before Vilkas could walk off. The Nord turned to look over his shoulder. Valleri's eyes were just as wide as his own; she obviously didn't know what she was doing. Their eyes met momentarily and suddenly they were all he could see.

Vilkas couldn't think of anything but her and those alert, gorgeous, green eyes.

The sounds of a commotion in the city behind them broke his trance, making him turn away from Valleri to see what was going on. Valleri's grip on his wrist lessened and was gone entirely in a second.

Breathing in shallowly, Vilkas mumbled, "We should go." He began to speed off in the direction of the main gate. A strangely familiar feeling of guilt and foreboding fell over him the closer he got. Nothing good was happening.

…

Vilkas could feel his hands begin to shake the faster he ran through the city. Streets seemed to grow closer in the further he got and the noise around him became unbearable. He sprinted up the stairs to the Gildegreen Tree and the smell finally hit him.

At first it was just the steel and panic, but soon enough even that was overpowered by the smell of blood. The metallic, rotting scent was the only thing he could make out.

He slowed, stopping short of the final steps leading up to Jorrvaskr. Ria and Torvar were standing in front of him, blocking the door. Behind them, the bodies of fallen warriors were strewn about. He scanned the ground for any sign of who these intruders were while the two younger Companions finally took notice of him. They spoke quickly while Vilkas saw the familiar silver swords near the bodies.

He stared at Ria next to him, "Their swords, are they silver?"

Ria looked taken aback but answered, "Vilkas, do you know who these people are?"

Vilkas felt himself sink further, "What happened?"

"No one knows," Ria shook her head, "These people just burst into the mead hall and started fighting. The Harbinger got hurt and Aela took down a few of them." The younger woman paused, face twisting into panic, "Where were you?"

The ground underneath him disappeared and Vilkas couldn't think, "Kodlak, what happened to Kodlak? Where is he?"

"He was inside last I saw," Ria explained. Vilkas didn't hesitate to push past her, nearly knocking the woman off her feet.

The door flew open in front of him and he was immediately hit with same smell as outside. It was thick in the room and Vilkas nearly lost all focus. The first thing he saw was the large puddle of blood on the floor. Vilkas still couldn't think as he trudged over to the crowd gathering at the head of the room. He didn't notice the bag fall from his hand.

Vilkas' chest tightened as the crowd parted and he saw Kodlak lying on the floor. This wasn't real. None of this was real, right?

Aela was the first to see him, turning with a look of pain written all over her face. Farkas came to his side and spoke, but Vilkas could only see his mouth moving. There was no sound apart for the rapid pounding of his heart against his chest and the blood coursing through his ears.

He reached for Kodlak's wrist, feeling for any sort of heart beat, anything to assure him the old man was dead.

The grisly gash across Kodlak's throat and the ice-cold skin couldn't have been right.

"This isn't real, is it? It's just another strange nightmare. It has to be," the Nord muttered to himself.

Farkas' voice finally made it through, wet and heavy with a mixture of emotion, "You missed it by minutes. Kodlak's already gone."

"I should have been here," Vilkas continued to mutter, "Why wasn't I here?"  
"There was nothing you could, Vilkas," Aela reassured. "It was the old man's time to go."

Vilkas sprung up to face her, knocking Farkas backwards. His face contorted into a snarl as he spoke, "Where the fuck did they go, Aela? Where are those fucking vermin hiding?"

"Driftshade," Aela sputtered out before she realized what she was saying. She and Farkas followed Vilkas out of the mead hall and into the open air, "Wait, are you seriously going?"

Vilkas couldn't bring himself to answer. The emptiness he felt only a moment before was burning. He wanted to scream, to yell, to do anything that would make himself feel empty again. Nothing about this felt good, like something was about tear out of him.

At the bottom of the steps, Valleri paused when she saw him. The woman was breathing heavy, out of breath and astonished by the scene before her. She moved to meet him half way, but he brushed past her too.

Valleri turned around, "Vilkas wait, where the fuck are you going? What happened."

The Nord paused, "Kodlak's dead. I'm going to kill the monsters that killed my Harbinger."

Valleri's eyes widened in dreadful realization. She stepped closer to Vilkas and grabbed him by the shoulder, "Vilkas you can't leave. This isn't right!"

Vilkas spun in his heel to face the shorter woman. He smacked her hand off him as he looked down on her, "You can't stop me from going anywhere. He needs to be avenged. Kodlak was the only person I ever cared about and if I can't find his murders, then what good am I?"

The Imperial winced at Vilkas' words, taking a step backwards. Valleri had to take a moment to speak, "Vilkas, this isn't right. Kodlak wouldn't' have wanted this. You know that." A deep scowl now marred her expression.

The fiery feeling in his chest welled up again as Vilkas began to shout, "Who are you to tell me what I can't do? Valleri, you've spent the last seven months trying to get revenge! Why can't I?"

"Those are two completely different situations. Vilkas, just wait. If you have to leave, then come with me to Rorikstead! Clear your head a bit."

Vilkas almost didn't know how to respond. Words began to pour out if his mouth without him thinking, "Just shut up, Valleri! I don't even have the energy to deal with your problems any more. All this time I've spent trying to sort you out, I could have been there for Kodlak, doing my job!" He paused, taking hold of Valleri's wrist. He stared right her and didn't break eye contact as his grip tightened. "Someone has to pay for his murder and you certainly won't."

Valleri's expression melted into horror as he let go. "You can't even answer for yourself. I'm not even surprised," Vilkas spat. He turned away from her and began to descend down the steps. "If I see you in this city ever again, I swear on the blood of my ancestors, Valleri, I'll throw you into Oblivion myself."

Vilkas could still feel nothing but rage and anger as he left the plaza. He didn't look back even as he heard Valleri collapse to the ground and start crying. Nothing mattered anymore.


	43. Chapter 43

Valleri froze when Vilkas grabbed her wrist with as much force as he did. Her skin went cold as his fingers dug into her joints. The color drained from her hand the longer he held on. Valleri had no idea what to expect, but he wouldn't go farther than this, would he? Even with that crazed, desperate look in his eyes, Vilkas wouldn't actually hurt her.

"Someone has to pay for his murder and you certainly won't."

Every time the Nord spoke, Valleri could feel his words stab like a knife. Valleri wanted to say something but nothing came to mind. All she could focus on was that wild glint in his usually clear eyes.

Vilkas let go of her wrist suddenly. Without the pressure, her joints began to throb. "You can't even answer for yourself. I'm not even surprised." The man turned away and began to go down the stairs. Valleri's words stuck on the tip of her tongue. Vilkas paused suddenly and Valleri waited.

"If I ever see you in this city ever again, I swear on the blood of my ancestors, Valleri, I'll throw you into Oblivion myself."

Valleri's blood turned to ice as Vilkas' words repeated themselves in her head. Over and over again, Valleri heard her friend's emotionless threat. Was it threat or a promise?  
Her knees buckled under her and Valleri fell to the ground with a thud. She looked back over to the plaza but Vilkas wasn't there anymore. He didn't even look back as he left. Valleri felt her lungs constrict as she tried to take in a ragged breath. Everything felt heavy as Valleri sat motionless. Farkas and Aela rushed past her into the crowd calling out for Vilkas. Valleri stared down at her hands; why were they shaking so much?

A hand found its way to Valleri's shoulder. She could barely acknowledge Ysolda's sudden appearance but her friend's words seemed to echo in her ear.

"Valleri, what happened? What did Vilkas do?"

The Imperial woman only stared at Ysolda, still wordless. Valleri could barely keep anything in. Ysolda took Valleri's hand and gasped when she saw the Imperial's wrist. Red skin was mottled with deep purple as five bruises began to form on her wrist.

Ysolda's expression turned bitter, "Valleri, answer me! What did that son of a bitch do?"

Words still hung in her throat, but Valleri couldn't keep hold of the emotions any longer. Valleri blinked away stray tears as she shook her head. Ysolda's frown deepened as Valleri held her head in her hands. She almost chocked as she tried not to sob.

"Valleri, none of this is your fault. None of it," her friend consoled. Ysolda glanced back at the crowd of onlookers at the base of the stairs. She sprung up, waving her arms, "Shove off, people! Can't you see this is none of your business? Scram before I call the guards."

She came back to Valleri, who was still hiding her face in her hands. The Imperial had calmed and was no longer heaving with each sob. Ysolda's scowl melted into sorrow as she watched Valleri. The Nord woman placed a hand on her back and rubbed in rhythmic circles

"Here, let's go. Staying here isn't doing you any good."

Valleri stayed stationary for another moment, trying to take deep breaths. She stood up slowly and followed Ysolda back to her house. Everything spun around her and it barely felt like she was moving forward. She'd never felt so defeated before.

…

Both women sat at the small table in the corner of Ysolda's kitchen. The ginger woman waited for some tea to finish steeping before bringing it over to the table. Valleri barely acknowledge the warm liquid in front of her. Ysolda sighed internally, noting the heavy, purple bags under the Imperial's eyes. It had been a few hours since she'd stopped crying but Valleri hadn't said anything either.

Ysolda couldn't help but worry. She shook her head, "Valleri, if you don't say anything, I can't help you."

Valleri continued to stare at the table. Only now, her expression turned bitter. "I'm fine," Valleri trailed off. She picked up the cup and quietly began to sip as she avoided Ysolda's stare.

"You're not fine, not one bit."

"Yeah, no joke, Ysolda!" Valleri snapped, slamming the cup back on the table. Immediately, she turned back, tears in her eyes once again, regretful of what she said. Valleri shook her head, "I'm sorry. It's just… there's a lot to process."

"I know," Ysolda muttered, "Someone will find him and we'll find out what the fuck he thinks he's doing."

Valleri didn't react to what Ysolda said. Deep down though, Ysolda could see a glint of pain in her friend's eyes at the mention of Vilkas. She sighed again and let the Imperial sit in silence for a few more minutes. The sun was just beginning to go down when they both heard the knock at the front door. Ysolda glanced at the large of figure of Farkas outside the window before she unlocked the door. He only shook his head in defeat when she looked back at him before both people stepped back inside.

"What happened?"

Farkas glanced at Valleri still sitting at the table. She didn't bother to look at him, but he knew she was listening. "Vilkas ran off. Me and Aela tried to track him, but he obviously doesn't want to be found."

"What happens now?"

"Aela's going to be out there a few days. Someone has to tend to Kodlak though. We can't just…" Farkas trailed off, staring downwards at the floor, trying to find the right words.

"It's okay Farkas. You're doing the best you can," Ysolda whispered softly as she showed him to the table. She glanced between him and Valleri, "Do you think he was serious about what he said though?"

"About Valleri?" Farkas looked up and paused, "I don't know, probably."

Valleri took a sharp breath in and interrupted their conversation. Both Nords looked surprised as she began to talk, "Vilkas was serious. The way he talked and looked… I've seen people like that before and they never go back on a threat."

"But, to actually throw you out of the city?" Ysolda scoffed. "You aren't actually going to leave are you, Valleri?"

The Imperial's scowl turned to a sorrowful frown, eyes narrowed, "I have to. I kept saying that I was going to leave anyways. Vilkas has pretty much already said I have no integrity, so why prove him right?"  
"Valleri, you have this all wrong. Leaving just rewards his behavior. You can't let that happen!" Ysolda countered.

Valleri stood up from the table suddenly. She shook uncontrollably while as she held onto the edge of the wooden top for support. "Stop! I'm not the one who's supposed to fix him! That was never my job. He's right, okay? I'm just wasting everyone's time by staying here."

The two women stared at each other for several long seconds. Ysolda's eyes were wide with astonishment as Valleri's expression fell again. Farkas coughed and Valleri glanced down at him. "What was uh… What was your relationship with Vilkas, really?" he asked tentatively.

Valleri opened and closed her mouth, not even sure what she was going to say. She sat back down slowly and gulped, "I didn't mean to get so attached. I never did. This was just a bad mistake." Valleri paused to rub her eyes. "I can't admit that I love him. That would just make this harder. It was already so fucking hard. I guess I was just hoping there would be some chance that I wouldn't have to leave. But now?" Valleri trailed off, breaking down completely. Her back heaved with ugly sobs, prompting Ysolda to rush over and comfort her.

Ysolda turned back to Farkas, anger marring her face. "I don't care what his reasons were, Vilkas has to pay. None of this is right."

"Hey, Val? Stay for a few days. We can sort it all out when he gets back," Farkas offered, speaking quietly as he did so.

The Imperial lifted her head again and faced the Nord, "I can't. I can't anymore. There's no reason for me to stay in place where the one person I trusted most doesn't want me. I can't. I have to leave tonight." Valleri rubbed her eyes once more, revealing a determined face underneath the red puffiness. "If that son of a bitch wants me gone, I'll be gone."

Ysolda and Farkas exchanged a concerned look before the man shrugged. Ysolda held her tongue as she waited for Farkas to speak, "If you're sure then. I'll take you back to Jorrvaskr to pick up your stuff."

The two of them didn't move before Ysolda rose from her seat and gave Valleri a hug. Instinctively, Valleri wrapped her arm the woman and buried her nose into her shoulder. "This is really it, huh?"

Valleri hummed as she pulled away with a small, uncertain smile.

Ysolda chuckled to herself, eyes already beginning to tear up. "Take care of yourself now, do you here? And if you ever come back, you have a place to stay with Farkas and I."

"I'll try to. I hope there comes a chance that I'll see you again, Ysolda. You mean so much to me."

Valleri tried to ignore the growing void inside of her as she left the small house on the edge of town.

…

Valleri waited for Farkas to come back up the stairs with the last of her things. She never realized how much she'd accumulated during her stay in Whiterun. Where in the world did she get so many socks? Why did she need so many in the first place? Valleri sighed as she sat down in the chair next to her. Her pack was still oddly light despite all that she was determined to take with her.

The Imperial woman closed her eyes and tried not think. The room still smelled like blood and the dark shadow of where Kodlak had been stricken down was still easily seen near the door. She couldn't imagine the pandemonium that had taken place earlier. Perhaps it was best the she didn't know.

It wasn't her place as an outsider.

Heavy footsteps bounded up the stairs. Valleri couldn't help but chastise herself for hoping that Vilkas would appear from downstairs. Instead, she was disappointed when Farkas appeared with her cloak and sword.

He set the gear down on the table in the middle of the room as gently as he could muster. With his hands on his hips, he stood back. "I think that was it. You didn't

Valleri walked over to meet him, "No, I did. I'll probably give what I can't take to Ysolda. She'll sell it someone or use it or something. She's good at that." She paused when her breathing hitched, "Besides after tonight, I'm going to be on the road. There's no need for a lot of the crap I kept with me."

"Where are you going? Do you know?"

"Rorikstead then Raldbthar to get my necklace. After that? Who knows?"

"So, you're going to a Dwarven city then?"

"Yep. There's a good chance I'll die in there, but I think I'm okay with that right now."

Farkas frowned as he glanced down at his companion, "Valleri, no. Don't say that. Death isn't the answer. I can't tell you how many times I've had to tell that to Vilkas, even when he was joking."

"Sorry."

"Just keep it in mind, okay?" He watched Valleri nod her head in agreement as she pulled the cloak around her shoulders. Farkas sighed, "Is there anything you want me to tell him when he gets back?"

"What?"

"Well, apart from the shit he's gonna get from me and Ysolda," Farkas continued.

"There's too much to say," Valleri retorted with a disinterested glare aimed at the table.

"Leave Vilkas a note then," Farkas offered.

Valleri perked up, "Oh, smart. I didn't even think of that." Valleri went back to her bag and tore a piece of paper out of the now worn journal she kept. She looked up at Farkas as she sat down at the table write, "If it's okay, can you wait a few more minutes. I'd like to write something for Kodlak as well."

Farkas looked taken aback but steeled as he spoke again, "Yeah, I could wait a few minutes. I'll get another paper."

Valleri mumbled a quiet thanks as Farkas went back downstairs. Uncertainly, she placed her quill into the ink pot and began to write. Her words came out slowly at first. Without warning, everything inside of her poured out onto the paper. Tears once again obscured her vision and droplets if the salty liquid fell onto the parchment in front of her. Ink and tears meshed together like flowers.

Taking a few deep breaths to calm herself down, Valleri signed her name at the bottom.

Everything felt cold and empty as she folded the paper and wrote Vilkas' name. There was no reason to seal it. If someone else was curious enough to read her letter, so be it. If they knew what her truth was, it didn't matter. She was going and she'd have to find something new to fill the gap.

Valleri never meant to get so attached to places people she meant to say goodbye to .

…

Farkas was kind enough to escort Valleri to the main gate leading out of the city. They walked in silence. Valleri dreaded each step. Each one brought her closer to the horrible realization that she had other places to be.

They stopped a few feet short of the gate and turned to face each other. This time it was Farkas who had tears in his eyes. Valleri attempted to smile. "Val, I don't think you're doing the right thing."

"Then why'd you walk me to the gate, you oaf?"

The Nord man huffed in response. "It's your decision, isn't it?" He paused, taking a deep breath in, "The best I can do make sure you go off safely. The old Vilkas would probably skin me if he knew that I'd let you go without saying good bye."

Valleri winced at his words. "Do you think he's really changed?" she asked.

Farkas shook his head. "I dunno, Val. I know he goes out for days at a time, but I've never seen him like this. All we can do is hope that Vilkas is better when he gets back." Valleri hummed in response as she glanced at the ground. "Who knows? Maybe if he is, he can meet you at the Dwarven city?" Farkas added.

The pressure in her chest increased drastically and Valleri couldn't help but snap, "No, no, no. I have no intention of seeing him again." She paused, noting the astonishment in her friend's eyes. "I'm sorry, Farkas, but I can't."

"Okay then," he answered in a despondent tone. "You won't even come back for our wedding?"

"No. As much as I'd love to, I'm not. Send a letter when you get hitched though," Valleri said, once again trying to smile.

Farkas sighed before protesting, "I won't know where to send it. You're gonna be all over the place apparently."

"Send it to Benirus Manor in Anvil. I'll be going home eventually and I'm going to need the good news for when I get back."

"I'll try to remember, Valleri. I really will." Farkas muttered as he gave her a tight hug. Valleri reciprocated, wrapping her arms around the man's waist. He waved as she pulled back and waited for the guard on duty to open the gate for her.

Valleri willed herself not to look back into the city. The warmth of the lights disappeared as the gate shut behind her with a thud. The woman stood still as she let a feeling of uncertainty rush over her. Holding her breath, Valleri looked across the landscape.

A wide plain reached far across the horizon for miles. The mountains in the background looked like hills in the background and light from above illuminated their crags and valleys. Multicolored snow covered the ground for as far as the eyes could see. Valleri barely noticed the small flakes of snow falling around her.

The Imperial woman sighed wearily before setting off into the land of snow in front of her.


	44. Chapter 44

Valleri had only been in Rorikstead for a day or two and already she was fed up. She knew she'd end up waiting for Aicantar to show up. But having to meet him here, in this small, desolate settlement? That was almost too much.

The folk that made this place their home were farmers and didn't want to be bothered by her. Even the mayor, if that's what he was called, seemed too busy for even a little bit of conversation. It didn't stop their suspicious glances though.

Not that Valleri wanted to talk anyways.

Instead, she was determined to get out of the inn. Valleri would take long treks into the wilderness around the village. At the very least, it kept Valleri active.

She sighed as she stared back at the vast plain in front of her. The fresh layer of snow made the landscape look more alive somehow. Every few feet, Valleri could see the remnants of old, leafless bushes poked out of the snow like fingers. Valleri shivered as she looked at them.

The bottle of wine in her hand was nearly empty as she sipped from it absentmindedly. Her mind was hazy after almost finishing off the alcohol not even an hour ago. The warmth it provided was negligible, but Valleri welcomed the fuzzy feeling like an old friend.

It was probably the closest she was going to get until Aicantar showed up.

Wordlessly, Valleri got up from the rock she'd been sitting on and stretched her arms up above her head. She groaned as her joints popped. Capping the bottle, Valleri placed it back in the bag at her hip and started back off to the village.

The road going through town was already devoid of people by the time she got back. Most of the buildings were dark as well. The only one that showed any signs of habitation was the inn placed in the middle of town. Maybe if she was lucky, she could get some food from the inn keeper.

She opened the door and was met with the laughter of several people from inside. Valleri's heart skipped a beat she paused in the door way. In the middle of the room, the inn keeper's son and a hooded elf were sitting by the hearth, smiling all the while. The elf turned to look at her and the grin on his face grew wider.

"Valleri! You're here!"

Aicantar rushed over and took the frozen Imperial's hands. His gaze didn't wander from her face as he paused. Valleri squirmed uncomfortably but didn't break away.

"I didn't think you'd get here before I did," Aicantar chattered away as he led her further inside. "I guess this place is closer to Whiterun though. And then an error on my part, but Mzinchaleft is closer to Whiterun than Markarth, so I could have just met you at Jorrvaskr."

Valleri bit the inside of her lip then sighed. "That's fine. It's fine. I'd really prefer to travel right now anyways."  
"I hope Vilkas won't be too cross about it. Where is he?"

Valleri stared wide eyed at the ground and didn't say anything. Aicantar furrowed his eyebrows as he asked again. "Is he here even?"

The Imperial bit her tongue in an ugly attempt to hide a scowl. Her hands clenched together instinctively, nails digging into her palms. Valleri took a deep breath in before she faced Aicantar again.

"You're right, Vilkas isn't here," Valleri muttered with a steely expression.

"Wait, what? What happened."

Valleri waved her hand in the air, "It doesn't matter okay? We got in a fight and I left. That's all." Valleri paused, brushing some hair out of her face, eyes landing on the floor again, "It doesn't matter."

"If you say so…" Aicantar trailed off. "So, I take it we won't be stopping back in Whiterun on our way to Mzinchaleft?"

"Not at all. With the way things stand now, I'd call it a miracle if the Companions didn't just kick me out of the city."

"Valleri, what the fuck?"  
"It's been a long few days."

Aicantar nodded his head in agreement, "Seems that way. Can we leave in the morning? I've been on the road all day and I'm not really keen on walking in the dark."

Valleri leaned back in her seat and pulled the nearly drained bottle of wine from her bag. She uncapped it and gulped the final bit of alcohol down. "Fine by me, my friend."

…

The morning they left Rorikstead, Aicantar revealed that he brought Smitty along for the journey. The bronze spider clacked about the inn, as docile as a trained dog. When Valleri questioned him, Aicantar explained that he was able to convert his control rod into a wearable pendent that allowed Smitty to travel outside of Calcelmo's laboratory. Contrary to what Valleri expected, the spider followed right alongside Aicantar without any trouble.

Their trip up north was uneventful apart from a few nights of fitful sleep. Every time Valleri closed her eyes and tried to drift, she could see the scene of Kodlak's death in her head. It would repeat itself over and over, reminding her of what had happened.

It also served as a reminder for what lay ahead.

Aicantar was visibly nervous the closer they came to Mzinchaleft. The elf would chatter on and on, almost never stopping to take a breath. Valleri could only smile at the distraction and answer his questions as best she could.

It was easy to spot the outside façade of the Dwemer ruins in the open. High towers rose above the rocky crags on either side of the ruin, still standing tall after so many centuries. The duo walked through the outer wall and deeper in the exterior parts of the ruin only to be met with a giant stair case going down to the main gate.

Aicantar paused at the top with a grimace. Valleri looked over her shoulder, "What's wrong?"

"I can't believe we're doing this. Like really doing it…" the elf trailed off.

Valleri exhaled sharply as she climbed back up to meet him. "I get that this is a lot to ask of a person, so Aicantar, if you want to leave, I won't judge you. But you have to choose now. I don't have time to waste."

Aicantar gulped before stepping down. The expression on his face turned serious and even Valleri began to feel better about their predicament.

"I'm going whether you want me to or not. "

A smile grew on her face as she spun on her heel. With each step, the uncertainty that had been ramping itself up in her chest turned to confidence. Valleri held her breath as she reached out for the door. With a light tap, the door began to move and with a single breath, Valleri faced the dark.

…

A familiar scent of oil and a heavy layer of dust hung in the air like a curtain. Valleri's eyes watered and she couldn't help but cough a few times to get the dust out of her throat. Aicantar gave her a sharp pat on the back after pausing behind her. Valleri looked up at him with a confused expression, "How are you not coughing too? This stuff is worse than usual."

"I live in Understone Keep, remember?"

"Oh, right."  
"No one's cleaned that place in years," Aicantar added with an entertained chuckle.

Valleri turned around and placed a random piece of thick metal on the ground next to the door. The door began to slam shut but was stopped by the metal, allowing a thin shaft of light to come into the corridor. Aicantar arched an eyebrow prompting Valleri to sigh.

"In case we need to leave quickly," she explained as she met up with the Altmer again. Valleri looked down as she rubbed the back of her neck nervously. "Sorry, it's silly isn't it?"  
"Not really."

Valleri stooped to look at the thick layer of dust on the stony floor. Her eyes lit up as she sprung up suddenly. "Foot prints; they've been here. We've got to go!"

With out thinking, Valleri moved forward. The long corridor opened out into a larger room and the Imperial woman stopped short as she let herself look around. Above her was a vast ceiling; several large, dimly lit lamps hung from above. A gate on the other side of room was flung open, probably from two adventures in haste.

Aicantar nearly slammed into Valleri's back as he caught up. He clung tightly to Valleri's shoulder as he regained his balance. The Altmer turned his head up and closed his eyes. Valleri heard him take in a deep breath before speaking in low tones, "I can hear humming. Whoever came through here, they activated the security system."

Valleri breathed deeply as goose bumps rose on her skin. She heard the clacking of Smitty behind her; if she wasn't careful, Aicantar's pet automaton was going to set her nerves off. "They usually come out of the wall ports, right?" Valleri asked as she gestured to a bronze rimmed hole on the wall across the room.

The Altmer hummed affirmatively. He waited for a moment, biting at his lip. "We could always send Smitty out first. To see how that goes."  
Valleri turned to look over her shoulder with narrowed eyes. "You think that'd work? Wouldn't the contraptions just recognize him as one of their own?"  
"Not anymore." Aicantar paused with a smile. "I tried it not too long ago in Nchuand Zel after we got the place up and running again."

Shrugging, Valleri watched as her friend sent Smitty out to the middle of the room. Valleri steeled herself for a fight as she watched the contraption run off. The spider skittered about for a moment in the middle of the room then finished his trek to the opened gate. Once the coast was clear, the two of them followed, completely free of the danger.

They continued like this into the tunnels for some time. Valleri didn't feel nearly as nervous now that the walls around them were closer in. Soon enough, Smitty stopped, alerting Aicantar to the open junction ahead.

Valleri signaled for Aicantar to wait behind her. She walked towards the spider into the lit portion of the junction, making sure to keep close to the wall. She paused when she heard it. To her right was the sound of rhythmic clicking. Steadily the clicking got louder and louder and it was too late for Valleri to pull back when the sphere rolled from the wall port.

She backed into a wall as she unsheathed her sabre in a single fluid motion. The Dwemer sphere unfolded and started to charge at her when she saw a flash of bronze fly into the mid-section of her foe. Valleri didn't pause as she rammed her shoulder into the thing's neck. It toppled back, hitting its head on the wall. Yelling at the top of her lungs, Valleri brought her sabre hard across it's wiry insides. The sphere burst into momentary light then fell over lifeless.

Valleri wiped her brow as she kicked it to make sure the sphere was really down. She looked back to Aicantar in the hall. He breathed out sharply then rushed past her to check the doors. She knelt down to check on Smitty. The spider waved its two front legs in familiarity when she pat it on the head.

"There's only one door way left. The others are caved in or locked," Aicantar explained he paused behind Valleri.

The woman raised herself from the floor and looked at the door he was talking about. "They may have just gone into the other room and locked themselves inside. Maybe as a safety precaution while they rested?"  
Aicantar shook his head, "No, this lock is pretty rusted. Nothing's coming in or out of that room." He paused before adding, "Not even Lexius could get in there!"  
Valleri sighed before walking to the only viable route left, "Even with his lock picking skills, huh?" She chuckled to herself as she cracked the door open. Satisfied that nothing was going to pounce on her, Valleri stepped in.

Inside was a set of smaller gates set in a grid pattern, each one containing a lever. Valleri groaned the longer she stared at the puzzle. Aicantar blanched in similar horror as he saw the room. "Makes you wonder how far behind we really are. This would take forever to solve."

Clicking her tongue, Valleri answered, "Especially since Alastaros was apparently almost blind. Lexius was never good with puzzles. I can only imagine it'd taken him hours to figure out, if not a full day."

"Lucky the blasted thing didn't reset itself."

Valleri hummed to herself as she wound her way through the grid section and emerged from the other side. She waited patiently for Aicantar and Smitty to join her before continuing forward. The scent of oil was becoming less pungent the deeper they got. By now, though, Valleri could smell the distinct scent of mold and she couldn't imagine what Vilkas would have felt about it had he joined them. Quickly, she out the thought out of her head as she went down the corridor.

"Hey Valleri?"

"Yeah?"

"What if the footsteps didn't belong to Alastaros or Lexius?"  
Valleri paused, holding her breath, and turned back to Aicantar. The Altmer stood stationary, eyes glued to the ground. No one made a sound, apart the usual clicking noises emanating from Smitty.

Biting her lip, Valleri breathed in sharply. Something began to burn at the corners of her eyes; she couldn't be sure if it was the fumes and dust or just tears she didn't realize she held onto.

"I have nothing else left to believe Aicantar. Alastaros and Lexius are some of the few people I have left. After Vilkas kicked me out, things have been falling apart. Something about this has to be right." She paused, trying to smile as her eyes met Aicantar's. "The lift down is right over there. Let's go." 

…

The ride down to the lower portion of the ruins took almost ten minutes by Valleri's crude estimation. At the very least, they had already spent nearly a day in Mzinchaleft and they were bound to spend at least another just getting out. Unfortunately, Valleri had no real idea of how much time had passed.

All the Imperial woman knew for sure was that she was exhausted.

At this point, Valleri didn't even care about the necklace. Just finding and getting her family out of this pace would have been ideal. When they were healed and ready for travel, they could go back to Anvil and regroup. Alastaros could see Skeeva and his tomatoes again, Lexius could finally get married to Rostam, and Valleri could forget all about Whiterun. The necklace could wait another few years.

Aicantar followed close behind her. The sudden darkness of the depths made the both of them nervous and Valleri had to take another few minutes to ready herself. Luminescent mushrooms lined the carved wall leading further down, giving her scantest light to travel by. The three of them moved slowly as their eyes adjusted.

Finally, the corridor led out into an enormous, natural cavern. The ruins of a Dwemer boulevard lined the cave walls. The blue glow illuminated the body of a dead Falmer. Curious, Valleri stepped closer and crouched down. She dipped her fingers in the blood. Looking back at Aicantar behind her, she spoke in a quiet murmur, "It's fresh. They've been here recently."

Her heart beat quickened as she saw the trail of blood leading away. Aicantar could barely keep up as Valleri recklessly ran forward. She wove around debris and fallen parts of the ceiling until she saw it. Her chest felt heavy as she gasped.

In the distance, she could see two figures in the distance. Both were seated on the floor, moving about listlessly. Cautiously, she walked forward. Valleri shook violently, scared of what she would find. The wind was knocked out of her when she saw two familiar faces looking back at her.

"Lexius, Alastaros. Gods… I never thought; I never thought I'd see you again," Valleri confessed in a whisper.

The Redguard didn't move, but she could see him breathing. He was sweaty and scarred, holding onto one of his hands as tightly as he could. Next to him, Alastaros' tired eyes fluttered open. The old Altmer's face fell with shock when he saw the Imperial in front of him. His eyes were milky, but they never stopped searching Valleri's face.

"Valleri, that can't be you, can it?" he paused, and Valleri could hear his labored breathing, "You must be some sort of goddess come down from the heavens. My girl should never be in this place."

His frail hands reached out for her own. She took them gently and placed his hands to her cheeks. Tears ran silently down Valleri's face and she couldn't help but smile in sorrow.

A weight seemed to life from her shoulders as she kept telling herself that they were really alive..

"It is me. I've been searching for you two for months. And you're alive," Valleri paused to take a shaky breath, "Gods, you're alive!"

"Your brother and I… We were convinced you had died, Valleri."  
Valleri rubbed the stray tears from her face as she tried to stand up. "I couldn't just die and leave you two alone. We need to get out of here. There was a lift somewhere back there."

Alastaros shook his head as he reached back down to Valleri. She knelt forward to meet him as he spoke. The strength in his voice began to fade slowly. "Valleri, I don't think I can make it much longer. My legs, my eyes… They're starting to go. If it weren't for Lexius dragging me half of the time, I would still be in that cave."

"What about Skeeva? And Anvil?"  
Sighing, Alastaros' face turned grim. "I have nothing left, Valleri. If anything, for me, find the necklace. Get Lexius out of here. I've lived a long life. Make sure you finish yours, my girl."

Valleri's blood turned to ice as she listened to the old Altmer. She glanced between and Lexius next to her. "I don't know what to say. How can a necklace be more important than your family?"  
"There's a lot of things you don't know about, Valleri. If you did, you'd understand. Just make sure Cyrenial and the Thalmor don't get a hold of it."

"Wait! How do you know that name?"

The Altmer began to cough violently. Instinctively, Valleri went to rub his back for any semblance of comfort she could provide. Valleri could hear footsteps approaching from behind.

"Oh, it really is Valleri!" A familiar voice called out from behind her. Valleri froze. She scrunched her eyes shut and refused to turn around to acknowledge him. "It really is a shame that you're here. I was hoping to meet you again under better circumstances. But then again, your insistence of finding Alastaros did lead me right to him and more importantly, right to the necklace I was looking for."

Suddenly, Valleri sprung up and a single motion, she slapped Cyrenial across the face. She stepped backwards, arms out stretched to protect her family. Behind the newcomer, Aicantar had his hands bound behind his back. Her friend's expression was one of panic.

"Why the fuck are you here? What are you planning?" Valleri demanded as she pulled her sabre from her side. The blade landed right under the Thalmor's neck and Valleri wasn't even sure what she was waiting for.

One quick slice, and it would all be over.

Cyrenial laughed with a smug grin. He pushed her blade away and spoke with surety, "Calm down. Remember! I have all three of your friends at my disposal. I'd say it's time to open the vault, wouldn't you?"

"You're talking all four of us?"

"Well, of course!"  
Valleri glanced from her family back to Aicantar. She scowled, "Leave Aicantar. He has nothing to do with this!"

The Thalmor shrugged absentmindedly, "If you're sure about it. Having a court mage's nephew go missing would be bad news anyways." He pushed Aicantar forwards before giving the younger elf a sharp hit over the head with his staff. Valleri winced at the crack and Aicantar went down with a thud. Valleri knelt down to check on her friend.

"Now get your family and go. We don't have the time to waste!"

Valleri muttered an apology to Aicantar before picking up Lexius and Alastaros. The old Altmer was able to walk mostly on his own, allowing Valleri to focus on moving Lexius. Cyrenial walked at slow pace to make up for their injuries.

Valleri's heartbeat quickened and her shaking became worse. She'd never been more scared in her life.


	45. Chapter 45

Vilkas didn't even have to search to find the place. The scent of silver was distinct and easy to track. The throb of the silver getting to his head was nothing compared to the vast emptiness he still felt. Maybe the rage would fill the space when he finally entered the refuge.

He didn't bother being quiet when he stepped into the tower. He wanted them to know he was here.

Vilkas paused when a person entered the tower after him. They grabbed the Nord hard by the shoulder, pulling him sideways. "Who the fuck are you?" they yelled frantically.

Instinctively, Vilkas grabbed the arm and slammed this newcomer against the door. Their feet dangled off the floor as they struggled for a gasp of air. They kicked furiously at Vilkas, but the Nord could only glare. Their garbles for mercy morphed into curses the longer Vilkas held them against the door. Vilkas didn't break his glare.

"Go tell them I'm here," Vilkas growled. With a thud, the newcomer fell to the ground. They ran as fast as they could, screaming and yelling all the way. The smell of fear grew thick in the air. Vilkas took a deep breath in and followed.

People tried to fight him, run away, scream. Vilkas couldn't think. They were nothing, just fodder until he found the leader. Soon, all he could see was black.

…

Vilkas' mind was foggy as he came too. He couldn't recall what happened and the scene around him screamed of violence. He looked to see red flowing down his forearms, viscous and slick. From the dark corners of the room, lifeless, glassy eyes mocked him.

Why was everything so red?  
He tried lifting himself from his laying position only to have the floor fall from under him. Vilkas fell flat on his knees and pain shot up and down his legs. Dried blood had pooled around scattered bodies and the emptiness that he felt minutes ago turned to an ugly gurgle. He vomited on the floor and the acidic smell mixed with stale scent of blood.

He couldn't piece together what happened. Was he alone? Or was Valleri just behind him?

Vilkas turned his head to look over his shoulder. He was half expecting to see the Imperial woman behind him. But there was only the darkness of the open door and more lifeless eyes. They mocked him, laughed through the memories of screams and yells and Vilkas had never felt so vulnerable.

"Why did you do it?" he heard from behind him. Vilkas looked back again only to see that she had in fact been right there. She didn't move, only stared down at him. Vilkas gawked at her like a bird; he couldn't peel his eyes away.

"I don't know."  
"Why?"

Her voice was sharp. Vilkas blood went cold as he tried to look away. He gulped and the lump in his throat only grew bigger. He began to stutter, "Someone had to pay…"

The Nord picked himself off the vomit and blood-stained floor and walked to meet her. She didn't move as he approached, but her frown grew wider. Vilkas tried to hold her, hug her around the shoulders. She wasn't there though. Valleri was just in front of him, untouchable. At least the blood wouldn't get on her. Vilkas could see the color of her eyes. They were red.

Weren't her eyes supposed to be green?

When did her eyes turn red?  
"Why were they the ones to pay? What did they do to warrant their deaths?"  
Vilkas couldn't speak. He had to remind himself to breathe. Finally, he could find the words to speak. "They killed Kodlak."  
"Don't you blame me for what happened?" Valleri paused, "Shouldn't I be the one to pay?"

He began to shake furiously as Valleri continued to stare at him. "No, no, no, no, no…"  
Valleri's eyes moved down to the floor.

"Shouldn't you be covered in my blood?"

Vilkas met Valleri's eyes again. They were still red. Why were they still red?

"Or what about yours?" her voice turned to a hiss as she snarled at him. "Would your own blood be sufficient as payment for what happened to Kodlak?"

Vilkas still couldn't say anything in his defense. Maybe she was right. Valleri's eyes narrowed, "You can't even answer for yourself." The Nord watched as Valleri turned and started towards the door. As she left, the inly blackness around him began to eat Vilkas up once more.

He looked down to see red running own his forearms, viscous and slick. Form the dark corners of the room, lifeless, glassy eyes mocked him.

Wasn't Valleri just behind him?

…

The emptiness was still there as Vilkas walked back into the city. Somehow the bag of metal fragments felt too heavy, weighing down on every step. It was nothing like the sticky, invisible stains on his own hands. His memory of what happened at Driftshade was hazy at best, but it was probably for his own good that Vilkas couldn't remember.

The only thing he was sure of was red. Everything was red. Even those gorgeous, green eyes that watched his back had turned red.

The door leading into Jorrvaskr was lighter than usual as he walked on in. The space was quiet for a change. At the far end of the center table, Farkas was sitting down, mindlessly tapping his fingers on the table top. He perked up when he caught sight of the newcomer. "You're back. What happened?"

Vilkas placed the bag of fragments on the table with a thud, "It's over."

Farkas glanced from the bag back to his brother. His eyebrows furrowed as he caught Vilkas' eyes. "Was it worth it?"  
"Who's to say anymore?" Vilkas muttered as he shrugged.

An awkward pause hung in the air before Farkas got up from his seat. "Everyone is up at the Skyforge. Jarl's there too."

"Oh…" Vilkas trailed off. He looked back down at his hands. The invisible stains seemed to grow the longer he looked at them. That wasn't right.

"She's gone by the way."  
Vilkas' head snapped up when he heard Farkas. "Who?"

Farkas' expression fell. "Valleri. She left the night you ran off. I don't blame her." Vilkas could only stare at him blankly as the Nord looked for something to say. Farkas shook his head, "Before you left, you started shouting at her. Something about sending her to Oblivion if you ever saw her again."

"Oh… right."  
Farkas continued to balk at him in disbelief. "I don't understand. Why did you do that? Valleri was your best friend. I actually started to think you loved her."

Vilkas locked eyes with his brother again. He saw himself in that face, the same clear grey eyes lined with purple and black. They were filled with so much genuine determination and curiosity. Was that what Valleri saw when she looked at him?

"I didn't."

Farkas' eyes fell to the floor with disappointment. With a sigh and a shrug, he spoke, "Get changed. It's not right to be covered in old blood at Kodak's funeral."

Both brothers went their separate ways before Farkas turned on his heel suddenly. "Hey Vilkas?" He paused waiting for Vilkas to stop and listen. "What you said to Valleri was absolutely the most hateful, cruelest thing I've seen you do. I thought you better than that, but I guess I was wrong."

Vilkas didn't move as he watched Farkas walk off. The lump in his throat got bigger as he trudged off towards the basement.

Farkas was right. So, so right.

…

Vilkas nearly missed it as he looked around the room for a clean tunic. The paper landed on the floor as he moved about. He may have stepped on it, Vilkas wasn't sure. He honestly didn't see the paper, folded with his name written in flowing cursive handwriting, until he had to look under the bed for a spare belt.

The Nord laid on the floor momentarily staring at it. He could see stained ink that seeped to the outer side. Valleri was clearly in a hurry when she wrote it.

Tentatively, Vilkas reached for it. His skin cold when he felt the smooth texture of the paper between his fingers. Pushing himself off the floor, Vilkas seated himself on the side of his bed. He almost couldn't open it. The letter almost didn't seem real.

The Nord glanced over to his door before unfolding it. The funeral could wait a few minutes. It was only one page.

He almost couldn't breathe as his eyes scanned the words. Ugly blotches of smeared ink obscured only a word or two and Valleri's handwriting turned hurried and choppy the further she wrote. Vilkas hung onto every word. He was lucky enough to have the letter. She had been so hurt by what he did, so much so that she was determined to never come back again.

Vilkas' heart began to pound as he finished the letter; his grip on the edges of the paper grew tighter. Vilkas said all those things without even thinking of what was going on and now he was never going to see her again. He skimmed through the words once more. He had only been consumed with his own grief and now he was paying for it.

Vilkas paused for a moment, thinking. Valleri did tell him where she was going.

She could have put that in there for a variety of reasons. None of them seemed plausible. But maybe…

Maybe he could go apologize.

Vilkas looked at the letter again before getting up. He didn't even have to get a pack ready for the trip. The lighter he traveled, the faster he'd make it to Mzinchaleft. His escapade to Driftshade hadn't even been four days long. Valleri would have been in Rorikstead for two days and would probably be on her way soon. If he kept it quick, Vilkas could make it to the ruin just in time to meet her there.

What she would think about seeing him again wasn't something Vilkas wanted to think about yet. In all actuality, Valleri wouldn't be in the least bit happy to see him. But it was worth a shot. Vilkas had to do something to make things right.

The sun was beginning to set again when he finally worked up the nerve to finally leave. A crowd was gathered at the Skyforge above him. The red glow was almost too bright to look at, but he could see the outline of the funeral pyre. Vilkas huffed and kept on walking.

Someone was already descending the steps down to the road before he got to the wall. Aela took him roughly by the shoulder. She stepped back when Vilkas turned around with a slight, exasperated frown. "And where are you going?" she asked with arms crossed.

"I have to leave."  
"Farkas said you took care of the Silver Hand. What else is there?" Vilkas only stared at her. Aela paused, nodding her head. "You're going after Valleri, aren't you?"

Vilkas bit his lip and hissed through his teeth. He shook his head uncertainly, "I have to do something. I was wrong and I have to fix it."

"And Kodlak?"

"I'm sorry; I can't."

Aela shrugged. "He probably won't mind. Actually," she paused, "Kodlak might actually like that. After what happened, he might even be proud."

"And the funeral?" he questioned. Aela laughed, making Vilkas cringe. "What?"

Aela breathed out sharply, "Just go already. You've got places to be. I'll talk to Farkas about it, make him understand." The Nord woman waved him off, "Now go before I change my mind."

Vilkas smiled slightly before turning around and walking off.

"Wait, wait, Vilkas! I almost forgot!"  
The Nord rolled his eyes before turning around and facing Aela again. "What now?"  
"Where is she?"  
"Mzinchaleft."  
"Take your horse. You'll get there so much faster." Aela paused, "Take mine too, in case she wants to come back."  
"Can I go now?" Vilkas said in a flat tone. He stared blankly at his friend before she shook her head with fond exasperation.

"You could just say thank you, you know?" Aela chuckled. Vilkas grumbled something incomprehensible before she watched him walk off into the dark. Aela took one last deep breath of cold air in before returning to the Skyforge. She was right, Kodlak would have been proud.

…

"So, he really left again?" Ysolda asked as she brushed some stray hairs from Farkas face. They were both lying in her bed, facing each other as Farkas tried not to think about what happened over the last few days. Ysolda could see dried up tear tracks running down his face and was determined to keep him close.

"Yeah. Aela said he was adamant on going."

Ysolda paused for a moment, drawing in a sharp breath. "Usually I'd say that romantic, but…" she trailed off. She tried to smile, "I hope Valleri's okay."

"Me too." Farkas reached out for Ysolda's hand. She offered it and watched as he brought it close to his chest. "I still can't believe Vilkas did that. I'm happy that he's trying to fix his mistake, but still…"  
"No one said it was right," Ysolda reminded him. He glanced to the side, refusing to meet her eyes. "Just wait and see what happens. Maybe things will work out."  
"You know, before this mess, I sort of had it my head Vilkas found someone. Maybe I was right."  
Ysolda chuckled to herself. "I'd be surprised if the whole city didn't think that. They were so close." She paused, "Well, not like us."

Farkas grinned as he stole a glance at her face. "Not even close. You've stolen my heart and unfortunately I can't seem to get it back."

"Well, dang. I must have learned a lot form those Khajiit then. I ended up with a great treasure and I hardly paid for it!" Ysolda jested. Farkas was laughing again as he grabbed her shoulders and brought her close.

They laid there like that for some time and Ysolda would have fallen asleep. She could hear his heat pounding against his chest. He stroked her head rhythmically, making her begin to doze off. Farkas began to speak in low tones, "I can't ever imagine I'd do this, but please if I ever do what Vilkas did, please just kill me."

"You don't have the heart to do that Farkas. You're too sweet. Anyways, I'd have my brothers do it for me."

Farkas smiled again. "I know," he paused, "I love you so much."

Ysolda buried her head into his shoulder and breathed him in with a content smile.

"I love you too."


	46. Chapter 46

Vilkas stared in disbelief as he paused, stopped by the door as though someone was blocking his way. A piece of rusted metal had been kicked between the door to leave a gap between. Vilkas knew immediately that Valleri placed it there just in case. She started to pick up the habit only a few months before after a close call they had.

If it wasn't her, then the bandits were crazy for letting all the cold air in.

Vilkas glanced behind him momentarily. The horses he brought with him had been tied up out of sight and as far as he knew no one followed him. Vilkas took a deep breath in before pushing the heavy door forward and steeping inside. He made sure to kick the piece of metal back in place. Vilkas could at least do that.

Immediately, Vilkas began to choke on the dust. It covered every surface like a blanket. At least it was easy to see the foot prints on the floor. He counted at least four set of prints in front of him along with the tracks of some creature following close behind, all going the same general direction. Vilkas didn't move. She was right. Valleri was right. Some of those foot prints had to have been left by Alastaros and Lexius.

Vilkas could see Valleri's prints go off into a sprint. He could only imagine what she was thinking. Following the prints at a brisk pace, Vilkas made his way through the corridors. He passed by a large chamber where the Valleri and Aicantar's prints seemed to have stalled. The creature looked to have gone out first testing to see if any traps went off.

From the looks of it, the room wasn't rigged. Valleri and Aicantar passed through just fine. Vilkas didn't hesitate to move forward. He also almost didn't notice the floor plate dropping as he stepped on it. Vilkas chided himself as he looked down.

In the distance, he could hear the sphere clack onto the ground and unfurl. Grudgingly, Vilkas pulled his sword from its spot on his back and spun around, only to be surprised when the sphere was already upon him. It swung its bladed arm across his abdomen without wasting another moment. Vilkas barely escaped, flinging himself to the side towards a wall.

The automaton slid in his direction before Vilkas could react further. He felt the sudden sting of the thing's arm cut across his shoulder and Vilkas hissed. In a flash of rage, Vilkas cut down the sphere. It fell to the ground with a satisfying crash before he took a deep breath in and left the chamber.

He didn't have to walk very far to see that Valleri and Aicantar triggered another trap. The remains of another Dwemer sphere littered the ground and the layer of dust on the ground had been kicked up like a fight had taken place.

Vilkas' stomach fell he walked by.

There hadn't been blood stains on the ground or the wall. And it was the sphere laying lifeless and broken. In all actuality, Valleri probably walked off without a scratch. There was no reason for him to worry.

…

The lift was taking too long to descend. Every second it took, Vilkas could feel the anxiety in his chest grow. He tapped his fingers rapidly against his leg absent mindedly. The sound of cogs reverberated through the column the lift was suspended in. The sound grated on his already thin nerves.

He counted to five over and over again in an attempt to alleviate some of the built-up tension.

 _One, two, three, four, five._ Any moment now.

 _One, two, three, four, five._ Just one more second.

 _One, two, three!_

The lift landed with a jolt, almost sending Vilkas to the floor. Clutching the bumpy sides of the elevator, he took a moment to regain his balance. Everything outside of the lift was pitch black but Vilkas could make out a natural boulevard reaching far out into the distance. Ancient, dilapidated buildings had been built along the sides of cavern but now they looked to be nothing more than broken husks. Some small colonies of bioluminescent mushrooms provided the only light he could see by.

The Nord didn't walk too far before Vilkas was approached by one of the Dwemer spider construct. Its feet clacked on the ground with each step. Vilkas stepped backwards when the automaton began to scratch at his feet manically. Without thinking, Vilkas held his breath as the spider ran circles around him. It didn't seem to be inclined to attack him. Was it friendly?  
Vilkas kneeled down and waved the spider over. It came, tentatively at first, then sprinted at him. Vilkas jerked back instinctively before regaining his balance. Sighing, Vilkas furrowed his eyebrows and stood up. The spider wanted him to follow; where at Vilkas wasn't sure.

This spider must have been the creature leaving the tracks following Aicantar and Valleri's prints at the surface. It must have known where they were. Following the spider was probably better than running around in the dark.

He kept close to the spider as it led him further down the boulevard. It stopped suddenly and began to run around in circles again, possibly trying to alert him to something. Vilkas almost stopped breathing when he saw a figure laying in the middle of the road. He ran over and dragged the body to a nearby pillar to prop them up.

Vilkas felt guilty that he was disappointed to see that it was only Aicantar. The elf had an ugly, open contusion on the back of his head, making Vilkas' stomach drop again. Vilkas shook him roughly by the shoulders in an attempt to wake him. "Aicantar, Aicantar!"

The Altmer began to groan slowly. Frustrated, the Nord slapped his friend hard across the face. "Aicantar, wake the fuck up!"

He groaned again; this time livelier than the last. He cracked an eye open and immediately began to flail about. The spider behind Vilkas started to run in frantic circles.

"Gods no, no, no. No!"

"Aicantar, calm down!" Vilkas yelled. He slapped the Altmer again and waited for him to stop muttering. Finally, Aicantar was looking at him, breathing shallowly but evenly. "Aicantar, what happened? Where's Valleri?"  
The Altmer's back began to heave with sobs. "He has all three of them!"

"Who? Aicantar?"  
"I let Valleri run ahead for just a moment and gods! I fucked up, Vilkas, I fucked up!"

"Who's he though?"

Aicantar's eyes went wider than Vilkas thought possible. His breathing quickened as he fell silent. Vilkas placed a hand on his arm, attempting to help Aicantar calm down. "Gods, it all happened so fast. I think Valleri was talking with Alastaros and then Cyrenial," The Altmer paused, holding his head in his hands. "Cyrenial got me from behind. He used me to get Valleri. Fuck. Fuck! It's all my fault!"

Vilkas stared at the ground with a snarl. His blood had turned to ice when he heard the name. He didn't give two shits about how or why Cyrenial was there. The Thalmor had a signed death warrant as far as he was concerned. Vilkas stopped and took a deep breath in before looking back to his friend.

"Aicantar, you need to get back to the top."

"What about Valleri?"  
Vilkas gulped nervously, "I'll get her back. Go back to the top. There's a lift back there."

"No, no, no," Aicantar muttered, shaking his head, "I have to help. I have to make this right."

"Aicantar, you've done enough."

"No!"

Vilkas reeled back before he let out a sharp breath. "Fine, fine. I saw an elevator shaft outside of the ruins just to the west. I left two horses behind the gate outside. I need you to meet me at the that shaft so we can leave as soon as we get out. If I don't come back after two days, go to Whiterun. Tell my brother what happened." He paused momentarily, watching the Altmer nod along. "Did you get all of that?"  
"Elevator shaft, horses, two days, then Whiterun. I think I've got it." He used Vilkas' arm to steady himself as he got up. He stopped as soon as he got up his feet and stared Vilkas in the eyes. "Promise you'll get her back."

"On my life, Aicantar," Vilkas replied.

Aicantar took one last forlorn look at Vilkas before turning around and walking off into the darkness. The Dwemer spider didn't hesitate following the elf, leaving Vilkas by himself in the darkness. He swallowed hard before turning to look at the path forward.

…

Vilkas stopped dead in his tracks when he heard it. A great bronze door had been left open, leading into a smaller house. Any of the blocked off portions of the building had been opened as well. He could barely notice the streaks of fresh blood on the floor.

Two voices were arguing in the distance, one was clearly the voice of woman while the other was too high pitched to be a human man.

"Where the fuck is it?"

"Cyrenial, it's obviously not here. They were wrong okay? We were all wrong."  
There was some ruffling in the distance, like someone had been shuffling through papers. "You know better than anyone that can't be true. It just can't!"  
"Just stop, Cyrenial. It's over. If anything, just let us leave."

"No, if you guys are gone, I lose any leverage I have. If I don't find this damn necklace, all four of us are dead."

"We'll all be dead if we stay here any longer. Alastaros passed out half an hour ago and Lex? He's barely holding on. The only one you actually have is me!" Valleri paused, "And I'm sure the Thalmor couldn't care less about me. You have nothing, Cyrenial! Let us go."

"No, I can't. Not yet."

"Fine, if we're all going to die anyways, you could answer me one thing. Why? Why is the Thalmor so interested in this damn necklace?"

There was a lull in conversation. Vilkas took a deep breath in, willing himself to step closer. He could now just see the figures of the people inside. Cyrenial was frantically searching around the room for something. Valleri was crouching behind him on the floor, above two others. The Redguard, Lexius, was sprawled around the floor while an Altmer, presumably Alastaros, was propped against the wall. Vilkas' eyes stopped when it landed on a centurion next to the side wall. Neither of them seemed to notice it.

Cyrenial paused and looked behind him, "I guess no one would care if you put it that way. I'm sure you're aware of the war in Skyrim and the rebellion in Hammerfell?"

"Yeah, I would be an idiot if I didn't."

"The Thalmor is trying to keep everyone distracted for now."  
"That much was obvious. What does this have to with the Ayleids?"  
"After Alastaros' research was revealed to the public, one of my superiors in Alinor looked into Sedor. That thing locked up in there is supposed to be some sort of weapon."  
Valleri sprung up from her spot on the floor and loomed over the Altmer, "You're trying to start another war? What the fuck is wrong with you people? Do you remember anything about what happened?"

"I know more than you realize, Imperial," Cyrenial snapped back. "I don't think this is smart either, but it's not for me to judge."  
"It is though! Don't you realize that, Cyrenial?"

There was another long silence where Cyrenial turned back to the papers and books in front of him. Valleri just stood in place, frozen to the ground in front of her.

"How could you not do anything?" Valleri's voice was wet, emotional.

"There's a lot about me you don't know, Valleri, that the Thalmor does." Cyrenial answered. Soon enough, he picked up a book, looking closely at the font. He handed it back to Valleri. "And what do you make of that, my dear Imperial?"

"It's Ayleidoon," Valleri muttered slowly as she studied the pages. She took a moment to answer, "Oh my gods. They moved it. They moved it when they realized the Falmer fucked up."

"They moved it to a place the Dwemer couldn't reach," Cyrenial said as he snatched the book back. He tore a page out and flung the book behind him. It landed with a dusty thud next Alastaros.

Vilkas didn't breathe as he saw the centurion begin to steam and whir to life. Valleri had started to yell uncontrollably at Cyrenial, obviously too distracted to notice the monstrosity behind her. Cyrenial obviously heard it, tilting his head towards the origin of the noise. Panicking, the elf sat up from the table and pushed Valleri to the ground before sprinting to the elevator at the other side of the room.

Valleri froze again as the Centurion aimed its canon at her. In a flash, Vilkas sprinted forward in an attempt to knock her out of the way. Too late, he realized. Too late.

He heard the canon go off then a desperate scream.

The room shook violently, knocking Vilkas off his feet. The ceiling of the room collapsed like a land slide, nearly crushing him in the process.

The smoke cleared only a second later and Vilkas rushed into the room. He navigated the crumbling room clumsily as he tried to hurry. He paused when he stepped on something squishy. Vilkas looked down, noticing the severed arm he stepped on. He nearly started hacking when he realized it was Alastaros' arm. Looking around the room, he noticed Valleri scrambling to move Lexius to a safe place. The Redgaurd's arm was crushed and bleeding but at first glance, Valleri made it through unscathed.

Next to him was the fallen ceiling. Form what he could see, what remained of Alastaros and the pile of books was scattered across the floor in a bloody mess. The centurion was also crushed beneath, no longer posing any threat.

He looked back at Valleri. She was sitting over Lexius, tears streaming down her face as she tried to wake up her brother. "No, no, no, no, no. This isn't happening. Lexius. Lexius! Wake up."

The Redguard's eyes fluttered open, and he spoke through cracked, dry lips. "Val? Val? Is that you?"  
Valleri placed her hands to her mouth like she was praying, "Oh, gods. Gods. You're okay."

"Alastaros… is father behind you?"

Valleri paused and Vilkas felt his stomach drop another level. She looked behind her, meeting the Nord's eyes. Valleri gulped before turning her head back to her brother, "No, but he's waiting for us in Anvil. He's at home. Waiting for us."

Lexius closed his eyes one more time, "It's so cold here, Val. So cold"

"I know. I'm gonna get you out of here in a moment, then we can go back home. Anvil is going to get hot in a month or two and we'll have to go back to the lake to cool off."

"Valleri, I can't feel my hand… I can't feel it any more. Valleri, my hand, is it gone?"  
The Redguard passed out again and Valleri began to panic. Vilkas fell to his knees next to her, grabbing Lexius hand to have a look. The flesh was bleeding profusely and the bones were all crushed. He turned to face the Imperial woman, "Valleri if you want to leave, you have to help me." She continued to stare at him wide eyed and sobbing. "We have to get rid of his hand. The longer we wait, the worse he's going to end up," he added.

Valleri's face went white as she reeled back. "No, no. I can't."  
He took her by the shoulders, "Valleri, listen to me. That hand is going to get infected and he's gonna lose it anyways. It'll be easier this way."  
"Vilkas I can't I can't. I just can't," Valleri repeated as she shook.

Vilkas could almost hear the room rumble around him before more the ceiling caved in around them. Valleri screamed and Vilkas hugged her close as he waited for the quake to pass. The crashing created a cacophony of noise around them and Vilkas was sure his head was going to explode form the sheer intensity of it.

He took one look at the lift before making his decision. Vilkas took Valleri into his arms and tossed her onto the lift. Her expression turned manic as she realized what was happening. "No! I'm not leaving wit out Lex. I made a promise. I can't leave him here to die."

"Valleri, you have to go! I'll stay here with Lexius. If you're not going to help me help him, then you have to leave. You have to live."

"No, I can't leave him. You wouldn't just leave Farkas to die, would you?"

Vilkas paused, "Valleri, I swear I'll bring him back. On my life, okay?"

"No!"  
He grumbled as he pulled the lever, forcing the lift up, and jumped off before it was too late. Valleri was still screaming and sobbing as the lift went up. Vilkas' stomach churned as he thought of what he just forced her to do. He didn't feel better as he walked back to Lexius. Vilkas whispered an apology as he prepared to amputate a hand.

…

Vilkas felt exhausted as he could see the natural sunlight coming into the elevator shaft. Lexius was propped on his shoulder, passed out. Lexius' missing hand was wrapped up heavily in spare bandages Vilkas had in his pack.

The memory of amputating the hand replayed over and over in his head. His screams of pain before he blacked out had almost been demonic. It was something Vilkas didn't want to relive.

The Nord breathed a sigh of relief when he could finally make out the outside scenery. Just beyond the gate, he could see Aicantar and Valleri next to the horses. The imperial woman was kneeling on the snow with her head in her hands.

As soon as she noticed the lift coming up, Valleri sprinted over. She took Lexius from Vilkas, falling to the ground and holding him close. Her sobs quieted slowly. Vilkas kneeled down next to her, placing and hand on her back.

"Valleri, we need to go back to Whiterun."

The Imperial slapped Vilkas' hand away and glared. "I'm not going anywhere with you."

"We need to get Lexius to someone who can help him. I wasn't able to do as good as job as I hoped. The faster he sees an actual healer, the better off Lexius will be."

"Don't say his name! You have no right to say his name, you monster!"  
Vilkas reeled back, shocked and hurt. The look in her eyes spoke of icy hate; black rimmed, exhausted, and scared. Vilkas felt his heart drop; it was the least he expected. And with what she just went through, Valleri's reaction was expected.

The Imperial didn't break her glare, but her snarl faded to exhaustion. The shaking started again, and Vilkas couldn't help but warp his arms around her shoulders.

"Valleri, I know it's hard. But just this last time, trust me," he spoke softly, calmly.

She didn't say anything as she let Vilkas take a hold of Lexius. Together they went to meet Aicantar at the horses. She barely acknowledged what was happening as she watched Vilkas place her brother on the horse in front of him before mounting with Aicantar on the second horse. No one spoke as they left the elevator shaft.

No one could bring themselves to say anything.


	47. Chapter 47

The ride back to Whiterun proceeded at a snail's pace. Vilkas wasn't surprised. Forgetting about the injured man sharing his horse, Valleri had been out of it most of the ride. She made it out Mzinchaleft unscathed; no broken bones, bleeding gashes. Her skin was probably bruised, but that didn't really count anymore.

Her body wasn't broken, but her mind was at least a little broken. Vilkas was sure he didn't know the half of it. After having to watch her father die protecting her and with extent of her brother's injuries, there was no way that Valleri was handling it in any way. Having watched what happened in the Mzinchaleft gatehouse, Vilkas would have broken down too. As far as he knew, the only sleep she was getting was when she would occasionally pass out due to exhaustion.

Valleri hadn't said a word to anyone. Her silence was unnerving and Vilkas was sure that she still hated him. Again, he couldn't fault her. At this point, his apology would have to wait a little longer. Right now, he just had to focus on getting them back to town.

Aicantar was surprisingly helpful. He was quieter than usual given the circumstances, but the Altmer did help take turns looking out when they rested and changing the bandages on Lexius' arm. After speaking one night while Valleri wandered off, Aicantar expressed some desire to stay with the Companions in Whiterun for a while. Vilkas didn't ask why or for how long. He didn't want to know. As far as the Nord was concerned, Aicantar was a friend of the Alastarim family.

Things would sort themselves out in Whiterun and as soon as Lexius was well enough to travel, Valleri would probably leave again. Vilkas couldn't stop her, but at least this time hopefully there wouldn't be any animosity between them. He went to Mzinchaleft to fix what he did and he was intent to keep it that way.

Valleri would understand.

They camped at the base of the mountains that separated the plains from the northern part of the province. Most of the snow around was melted, revealing a grey, mottled forest around them. Any signs of growth were still nearly inviable under the last year's leaf litter.

The camp faced the plains below them. In the distance, Vilkas could see the familiar walls of Whiterun in the distance. Even in the low light of the evening, the city felt warm to him. The Nord took in a deep breath before finishing tying up the two horses to a nearby tree.

Soon enough he'd be back home and be able to sleep in his own bed.

"Hey, Vilkas! I'm gonna change the bandages. They're looking pretty bad," Aicantar shouted from across the clearing. The Altmer already had Lexius propped against a fallen tree since the Redguard was all but comatose still. They both assumed that the stress of the last few months was finally taking its toll.

Vilkas nodded his head, "Go for it." At least he wasn't the one doing it. Aicantar gave him a faltering smile before getting to work. He glanced around the campsite, sighing when he found that Valleri was missing again. After pulling the knot in the rope tighter, Vilkas trudged off in the direction of her foot prints.

Aicantar looked up when the Nord passed by. "Missing again?"

"Yeah, I'm going to go find her."

"Good luck, friend…"

"I know. I'll need it won't I?"

…

Valleri was standing with her back turned to him, staring up at the sky. Vilkas stopped a few feet short of reaching her. The Nord was sure she was knew he was there. If she knew she didn't show it and didn't bother to acknowledge him.

Vilkas grumbled with annoyance, eyebrows knitted together. "Valleri!"

She didn't move.

"Valleri! What are you doing?"

He paused when she answered, voice sharp, "Just leave."

Vilkas grimaced to himself when he watched her walk further into the woods. He let her walk off a bit farther before following. Any sunlight left was fading quickly and Vilkas was scared of losing sight of her.

"Valleri! Where are you going?"

The woman stopped dead in her tracks and spun on her heel to face him. Vilkas took in a deep breath before walking to join her. "You shouldn't walk too far. Something could happen to you. We don't know who's out here."

Valleri sucked air between her teeth, hissing. "That's just it though, isn't it?" She paused, looking at the forest in front of her, "I keep convincing myself that Alastaros is out there and if I look long enough, I'll find him. There's always that feeling in the back of my head though that I'll find Cyrenial instead. And if it's him out there…." Valleri seemed to shiver, "Boy, I don't even want to think about that."

"How did he get there in the first place?"

"Does it matter? He was there anyways. It's too late for that." Valleri kicked up some leaf litter absentmindedly. "Besides, Alastaros is dead. Its too late for him too. He's never going to see Skeeva again, or go home again. He's just… Gone."

Valleri paused and looked at the ground. Vilkas froze as he waited. In only a moment, Valleri looked back at him, locking eyes. "Why did you come?"

Her words were so simple, but for some reason the way she made Vilkas' blood turn to ice. Any vague memories of his hallucination in Driftshade came surfacing, making him sick again. "I had to do something. And you did tell me where you went in the letter." Vilkas was fighting for his words; he was surprised he sounded as confident as he did.

Valleri rubbed her temples with a free hand. With a sigh, the Imperial spoke in a blank tone, "Honestly, that letter was mistake. I just sort of vomited everything on the page and wasn't thinking clearly."

"Did you mean anything you wrote?"

"I dunno. Did you mean any of what you said?"

The Imperial's words cut like a knife and Vilkas almost stopped breathing. Vilkas wanted to shrink under her gaze, anything to make himself disappear. Valleri only stared at him and waited. Gulping, Vilkas opened his mouth only to find the words weren't there.

"You never go back on your word if you can help it. But this time?" Valleri paused, shaking her head.

"You can't expect me to be prefect, Valleri," Vilkas glared at her from the bottom of his eyes.

"No, I can't. But you're the strait-laced one; the one I could trust and count on. And now what?" Valleri continued. "I wanted to help. After Kodlak died. But, and I don't know why, you were just so fucking hostile. Now, I think I get it. But do I really?"

"Valleri..."

"No, stop for a moment, Vilkas,' Valleri snapped. Vilkas stepped back as he listened to her speech. Valleri continued without missing a beat, "What you said was just… Gods, there's no actual word for it! I've never been more attacked and hurt. And then you just show up after saying you'd kill me if you ever saw me again. What's the deal with that?"

"Valleri, things have changed." Vilkas stated. His hands were clenched in tight fists, frustration coursing through him. Valleri stared at the ground again, color left her face. Neither of them said anything for what seemed like forever until Valleri sighed.

"Why bother?" She paused for a moment, waiting for Vilkas to answer her. The Nord still couldn't find the words and the pressure in his chest skyrocketed. Valleri shook her head and looked back at the ground, "Honestly, I think I've had enough. I can't do this anymore."

"Vilkas! Vilkas, come quick!" Aicantar's voice came from behind them. Vilkas could hear the Altmer running after them, not bothering to keep quiet. "Vilkas, I'm not kidding. It's a fucking emergency!"

"What in the world is going on now?" Vilkas questioned, turning to look over his shoulder. Aicantar burst through the trees, face contorted into a worried frown. "Calm the fuck down Aicantar! Where's Lexius?"

"We don't have to worry about that! Whiterun's on fire!"

Vilkas' stomach fell and he broke into a sprint. In only a few minutes, he burst into their camp, only stopping when he could see the tundra. Indeed, the city far beyond them was burning bright against the inky, black sky. The contrasting light made it difficult to see the surrounding scenery. The Nord squinted his eyes, desperately trying to make anything out. Soon enough, Vilkas could see figures moving. They all seemed to be congregated by the fields and gates outside. Were they were fighting?

He was too far away to make out anything else, but without a doubt, Ulfric Stromcloak was making good on his promise. As far as he knew, Whiterun was going to fall in a matter of hours. His heart dropped further. Everyone he knew was still in the city when he left. The Companions; Danica; Aela; Ysolda; Farkas.

They were all still in the city.

This couldn't have been at a worse time.

Aicantar and Valleri came back a few minutes after him. He could hear them breathing heavily behind him then there was a gasp from Aicantar. A shiver ran down Vilkas' spine as his finger nails dug into his palms.

"Aicantar, take Lexius on one of the horses. Go back to Markarth. You'll be safer there for the time being," Vilkas ordered, eyes not moving from the scene of destruction in front of him.

"What about you?"

"I have to go to Whiterun."

"And Val?" Aicantar asked from behind.

"I'll have to take her. One horse can't support all three of you."

"You realize that Whiterun is being attacked, right?" The Altmer reminded, voice sharp, "Don't you think she's had enough death for a while?"

The Nord looked over his shoulder back to the Imperial. Her face was blank, resigned to whatever they were going to decide. Vilkas sighed, "There's bound to be a cave somewhere we can stay in if things don't look so good. But I can't just leave, Aicantar.'

Aicantar shook his head, "Fine. Just be careful okay?"

"I will," Vilkas said with a shaky smirk. He put out the small fire in the camp before helping Aicantar get Lexius on the horse. Valleri stood nearby with her arms crossed, frowning as she and Vilkas watched the horse take off. Valleri bit her lips, taking a deep breath in. Vilkas looked over, "Valleri, are you going to be okay?"

The Imperial scrunched her eyes together in annoyance. She didn't say anything or look in his direction. The look on her face was one of defiance, only telling him that she wasn't feeling good about any of it. She was still angry with him.

"We're back to this then?" Vilkas asked, not bothering to wait for an answer. He led Valleri to the second horse and in a few moments, they were on their way.

…

The western watch tower was a dilapidated, ugly mar on the landscape that most people usually avoided if they could. It was far enough away from the city that if someone added a house or two around it, it could have been counted as its own settlement. Because of the distance, the Jarl usually didn't switch the guard postings often, keeping the same team of men manning the tower for several months at a time. Vilkas couldn't have been more glad he wasn't one of them.

He and Valleri didn't arrive at the watchtower until later in the afternoon later in the day. Their ride had been silent. Even if Valleri hadn't been so upset, Vilkas still would have been too nervous to say anything. The city was still burning and as far as he knew, the rebel army already breached the blockades.

The Nord pulled the horse to a stop when he could see the guardsmen aiming their bows at him.

"Halt right there, or we won't hesitate to open fire!"

"Wait, wait a moment," Vilkas called out, waving his hand in the air, careful not smack Valleri in the face. "We're with the Companions!"

Vilkas put his hand down and the guards in the tower fell to a hush. They turned to each other, muttering all the while. One of them turned back to Vilkas and shouted, "Well then, tell me how many members of the Circle there are!'

"There's three now. Skjor's death was last fall and the late harbinger Kodlak passed within the last few weeks"

"What are the names of the remaining members?" the guards asked further. Vilkas could only groan.

"Aela the huntress, my brother Farkas, and me," he answered, voice tired. "Now, are you going to shoot us or not?"

There was another lull where the guards talked amongst themselves. Finally, he could hear some movement coming from the tower. In a few minutes, he saw one of the guards walking out of door. The man's face was obscured by a helmet, but Vilkas was sure the guard was frazzled at best.

The guard gasped when he came close enough to see the mounted riders. He looked back up, "Shit, it's Vilkas! And that Imperial lady is with him!"

"He wasn't lying?"

"What did I just tell you? Let 'em up!" the guard yelled up. He looked back over his shoulder to Vilkas and Valleri, "Here, dismount and go up. I can tie the horse up around the back."

"Thanks, friend," Vilkas muttered as he got off the horse. He landed on the ground with a thud, nearly knocking himself off balance. Valleri didn't even bother to look over when he regained his balance. "Come on, let's go. It'll be warm inside," Vilkas muttered, proffering a hand in her direction. Tentatively, Valleri took his hand and slid off.

The guard shot him a look. Vilkas shrugged, "Leave her be, it's been a long week."

Surprisingly, the tower was cozier than Vilkas expected. There was a bed on the second story and rugs and tapestries lined the floors and walls. The guard captain met them at the top of the tower. "Boy, Arni wasn't lying. What happened to you?" He cocked an eyebrow when after giving Vilkas a look down.

"I had some stuff to clear up outside of the city. I didn't realize that the Stormcloak army would already be here."

"Neither did we," the captain muttered. He looked passed Vilkas' shoulder to the Imperial woman surveying the surrounding scenery. "What's wrong with her?"

"Valleri's been going through a few things. Don't fault her," Vilkas explained. "Can you tell me what happened?"

The captain hissed, biting his lip, "The rebels mast have had a camp just north east of the city. They went around the side past the farms and started trying to take down the wall there. Though I think most of the attack force was able to break through the main gate."

"How did they miss the tower?"

"We're so far away, they probably didn't think there'd be men here." The captain shrugged, "We've been waiting here for the last half a day or so, trying to lay low."

Vilkas furrowed his eyebrows in confusion, "Why not just take them off guard from behind?

"Have you seen how many men I have here? There's only twelve of us here," the captain gestured with a scowl. "We're not like you, Companion. The small handful of us wouldn't be able to get in there with enough man power and any surprise would be ruined."

Vilkas rubbed his chin and hummed as he thought. "I could do it; take the horse and charge in." he saw Valleri perk up. "Did they have any sort of cavalry with them?"

"The Stromcloaks? No, not at all."

"It'll work then," Vilkas stated with a confident grin.

The captain gestured to Valleri with his head, "What about your friend here?"

"No, I can't let her come. Valleri means too much and… Just no" Vilkas paused shaking his head, "Can you look after her?"

"Well, I don't see why not. She seems pretty quiet. What's her name?"

Vilkas took a deep breath in. his words were almost caught in his throat, voice coming out much quieter than he had hoped. "Valleri. Her name is Valleri."

"You're really going then?"

"I can't just let my family die. If somehow me charging back in helps in even a small way, I'm gonna take that chance."

The guard captain laughed, throwing his head back. "You Companions really are heroes, aren't you? Is there anything we can do while you're gone?"

"Just don't die I suppose."

The captain laughed again, this time more light hearted. He gave the Companion a hard slap on the shoulder and smiled ear to ear. "We'll try, Companion. We'll try."

…

Valleri watched Vilkas from her spot at the top of the tower, leading the horse to the main road. Somehow, even though she heard him talking to the guard captain earlier, she still couldn't find it herself to feel anything. He was going to die, she was sure of it.

The guard who met them when they first arrived was down there with him, face contorted with worry. He tried laughing, but Valleri could still easily see that the man wasn't comfortable with what was going on. Who would be?

Vilkas looked back up to her for a moment, giving her a small smile. He was uncharacteristically shaky. Valleri's heart dropped when they locked eyes. Quickly she turned her head, biting her lip. Shivers ran down her spine. Valleri knew how much it hurt to swallow her pride.

Sprinting down the spiral stairs, Valleri couldn't wait and just let him leave. Not this time.

Vilkas was already mounted on the horse by the time she got to him. The horse reared back slightly and Valleri took a hold of the reins. Vilkas only glanced at her with a serious expression.

"Lady, be more careful, will ya?"

Valleri snapped her head back to glare at the guard, "Shut up. My business isn't with you."

The guard only threw his hands up in the air and walked off. Vilkas was looking away from her, but she could still see him smiling. Her chest tightened when he turned back with wide, clear eyes. "I honestly didn't think you'd see me off. Are you still upset?"

Valleri bit her lip, sucking in a breath. "I am. I still can't think of you without feeling sick. Absolutely livid."

"Why're you here then?"

Valleri steeled herself, straightening her back, "You can't die, you hear me?" The Imperial woman paused, letting herself breathe, "You can't die because then you'll never answer my question. And then I can't hate you anymore. And I just…. I can't"

Valleri looked at the ground with tears in her eyes. Vilkas sighed and placed a hand on her cheek, "I swear I won't die. I won't. I'll come back after this is over." He paused and watched the tears run down Valleri's cheeks. She was still scowling. "I won't die."

He rubbed her cheek one last time and took off. Valleri felt herself go cold as she watched him go. She'd never felt so empty.


	48. Chapter 48

The wind whipped passed the lone figure, burning his skin as he rode closer to the city. The helmet kept Vilkas' face protected from the sting, but he could feel sweat bead and drip down his skin. His fists held the reins as tight as he could, though he knew it wasn't doing him any good at the moment. Anxiety coursed through his veins and with each passing moment that feeling grew.

Vilkas could have went back. He could have decided not come at all. What did the guardsmen say to him before? That this was a fool's errand; he was throwing his life away.

But Vilkas had reasons for going into the fray.

People depended on him.

The man steeled himself as he pulled the horse to a halt. Vilkas could see that most of the fighting had stopped. The rebels were probably looting the city, unaware of any threat lying outside. As long as Vilkas was quick, this would work.

Taking a deep breath in to steady himself, Vilkas spurred the horse on at a gallop, speeding up the closer he got to the first gate. The smell of old smoke and blood hung in the air. The smell made his stomach churn, but Vilkas couldn't stop. All he could do was pretend he didn't notice the carnage and keeping going forward.

He could see some rebel stragglers ahead of him, obviously wondering the in the world was charging straight at them. The yelled as they leapt out of Vilkas' way. The interloper didn't bother to unsheathe the sword he had with him. Now wasn't the time.

The shouting apparently alerted some of the others and before Vilkas knew it, he was being chased. Desperately trying to urge the horse faster, Vilkas prayed to any god that would listen that he would make it. His mount protested, but Vilkas had to make it to the main gate. The rebels caught up to him in no time. The head of the group already unsheathed their sword and Vilkas shivered at the wild glint in their eye. They swung at random, fast and furious. Vilkas kept his head down and kept galloping for the gate.

When Vilkas looked up finally, he felt weight lift off his shoulders. The main gate had been left wide open for the rebels to come and go as they pleased. By now, he could hear any of the archers around start to scramble for their weapons.

The lead rider swiped at him again. Vilkas narrowed his eyes as he took his sword from his back. The blade slashed across the rider's chest, causing them to fall from their own mount. They fell to the ground with a hard crack and Vilkas could hear them getting stomped on by their own horse.

Vilkas now focused on the road ahead of him. He wound his horse around the streets with more efficiency than even he expected. This was his city, and by the Eight, he was prepared to die defending it.

Up ahead was the market square and Vilkas' face melted into shock when he saw the large group of rebels already preparing themselves for his arrival. He steeled himself, holding his sword at the ready. Yelling at the top of his lungs, he charged through them, swinging the blade at as many foes as he could. Each time the metal made contact with flesh, he rejoiced. He pulled his mount to a hard stop at the well, eliciting a concerning squeal from the horse. Vilkas dismounted, flicking the blood off his sword.

Standing ready, Vilkas waited.

With each moment, the riders came closer.

With each moment, his grip on the hilt of his sword tightened.

With each moment, Vilkas held his place.

The riders were already upon him.

Vilkas screamed at the top of his lungs as he brought the sword hard across the legs of the first horse. It went down with a scream in front of him, toppling the next two after it. Their riders yelled in confusion and rage. The last rider couldn't stop his horse in time and didn't realize that Vilkas already sprinted to flank him. The Nord whooped at the top of his lungs and in a fast, fluid motion brought his opponent down.

Now Vilkas had his back facing the stairs leading to the next plaza. By now the entire city knew he was here and the rebel soldiers were flocking. Vilkas spun around on his heel, holding the sword out in front of him at the ready. In only a few moments he was surrounded. Men and women came at him in a slurry of disorienting movements and Vilkas tried to keep up.

One of the rebels moved behind him. They didn't hesitate to kick him in the back of the knee. Already of balance, the Nord fell to the ground on his knees. Wide eyed, he tried to remind himself to breathe. He closed his eyes and readied himself for what ever came next.

And then, nothing.

His attacker fell next to him, eyes glassy and blood flying from his mouth. A firm hand fell on his shoulder and brought him back up with a jerk. Vilkas barely glanced over before feeling like the ground was falling from under him. He couldn't help but grin despite the chaos around him.

"Farkas!"

…

Valleri moved from the inside of the tower to the roof under the open sky. The wind whipped wildly at her cheeks. She had no idea that wind could burn this much. Still, it was better than staying inside of the stuffy building.

After spending so much time underground, Valleri craved the open air. The lack of responsibilities or expectations the open scenery offered felt like a blessing. The horse ride back to Whiterun had been suffocating, but now?

Now things were different.

Oddly enough, Valleri didn't feel empty or sad. A strange sense of surety filled her. This didn't feel quite right, but the Imperial would take more readily than feeling hopeless.

Even so, she couldn't help but feel that Vilkas was going to his death. No; Valleri was sure of it.

Those heavy feelings fell to the bottom of her stomach and festered there.

She griped her sabre close to her chest as she stared in the direction of Whiterun. Valleri just barely could see a lone rider charging into the chaos. Before now, the city was all but silent. Now that had changed. She could hear yells and metal clanging in the distance. Even still, the tower remained silent.

The captain came up from behind her, placing a blanket over her shoulders. She turned her head and stared through purpled rimmed eyes.

"You think his plan will work?" they asked, crossing their arms.

Valleri shrugged, "One can hope."

"Really though, what are you thinking about all of this?"

"Does it fucking matter? He's going to die in there. And for what?"

The captain bit his lip and grabbed onto the parapet in front of them. He leaned over to look past Valleri over to Whiterun. "You should have gone with him then. Maybe then he won't have to die."

Valleri sighed, "He… he didn't want that. Vilkas wanted me to stay here so I could live and go home."

"What?"

"Doesn't matter." Valleri stood up straighter. "He's probably going to die but I honestly hope he doesn't. It'd be a horrible waste of life and I wouldn't be able to live with myself."

"That's honest."

Valleri blinked and found her eyes following the horizon to the west. Things seemed empty there compared to the battle in Whiterun. "What'll happen if the Stormcloaks end up capturing the city?"

"We'll have to surrender, I guess. Anything to prevent more deaths at this point is probably worth it."

"Oddly enough, I think I can agree."

The captain tapped rhythmically on the stone parapet. "Why are you here though, Imperial? What allegiance do you owe Whiterun?"

Valleri chuckled bitterly to herself, "I dunno really." She paused and shook her head, "I've been doing odd jobs for the Companions for the last few months. My allegiance isn't to Whiterun, but to them."

"I think I remember seeing you around town now that I think about it."

"I wouldn't be surprised," Valleri muttered. She held the sabre tighter as her thoughts went back to Vilkas. "Why didn't you people just run? I mean, you're so far away from the city, no one would have noticed."

The captain swatted the air with a crooked smile. "That's not true Imperial. We'd know. Besides, this is our home. It's like your friend said; if we just left, we'd be abandoning the place we call home."

Valleri breathed in the fresh air, chest tightening all the while. She leaned against the parapet, still trying to avoid looking at the city. Instead her eyes wandered to the plains in front of her. Then she paused. That wasn't right. Again, Valleri squinted her eyes and looked again.

She grabbed the captain by the shoulder, shaking him. "Do you see that?"

"See what?"

Valleri pointed to the small black mass marching across the tundra. They were inching their way closer, "That."

The captain paused for a moment then backed up away from the parapet. His face went white and slack jawed. Valleri felt her self stop breathing for a moment. "Is that what I think it is?"

The captain didn't have to answer her for Valleri to know she was right. He sprinted down the stairs, yelling for an alarm. Valleri turned back to the tundra, eyes following the new contingent of rebel soldiers. They were coming around the other side if the city, completely unnoticed by anyone in the city. They were taking advantage of the fact the most of the townsfolk were probably still focused on the main gate.

Vilkas was there now. He would have no idea what was coming.

No one in Whiterun would know and the city would fall. Valleri felt sick.

"Captain! You have to get their attention!"

"How?"

"I don't care! If we don't hurry, you're gonna lose the city."

Valleri kept her eyes on the horizon, though she could hear the captain calling orders from below. The few guardsmen left ran about their base, trying to gather what supplies they could. The captain made his way back to the top, head barely poking out from the floor.

"Hey, lady!" he called, "Stay here and wait for us!"

Valleri swiveled around to face him, shock written all over her face. "What are you talking about? There's a least fifty, maybe seventy-five of them out there. I'm going with you."

"Your friend wanted you to stay here. We at least owe him that."

Valleri clenched her fist around the hilt of her sabre, keeping her jaw tight as she seethed through her teeth. "Listen, I can't just sit here."

They stared at each other for a second, each one wearing a scowl when one of the guards called from below. "Hey, cap, we've got a problem! They know we're here!"

"What?"

Valleri looked back to the plain. Indeed, the guard was right. The second rebel force had veered off course and was heading straight at the tower. The Imperial gulped nervously as the captain met her back. She glanced over to him, "You're gonna need me after all."

…

Farkas flashed his brother a quick grin before rejoining the fray. One by one, the rebels fell to the ground. Both brothers tried not kill unnecessarily, but every once in a while, Vilkas could see the life leave some person's eyes. At this point though, Vilkas couldn't bring himself to care all that much.

Almost too suddenly, he was swept back to the times when he and Farkas would fight together more regularly.

When there was a lull in the fighting, the two of them ducked behind the inn. Vilkas leaned against the wall for support. Breathing heavily, Vilkas closed his eyes. The exhaustion finally caught up to him, seeping into his already stiff joints.

Farkas crossed his arms, eyes narrowed, "You come back at the worst times, don't ya?"

"Seems that way."

"Where's Valleri?"

"She's safe for now. That's all you need to know."

"You didn't bring her into this mess, did you?" Farkas asked as he stared pointedly at his brother. Vilkas didn't answer. Instead he stared at the wall with guilt written all over his face. "You can't be serious." Shaking his head, Farkas gave Vilkas a quick pat on the shoulder. "I'm glad you came when you did though. Jorrvaskr was surrounded and our doors were about to bust open."

"Bones. Where's Ysolda?"

Farkas' face went white, "She's with some others in the basement. Most folk are scattered around town."

"What about Balgruuf's army?"

"Most fell when the invaders broke down the gate."

"So, the Companion's are the last resort. Well, fuck," Vilkas muttered. "We should go. I'd imagine that whoever put this show on is looking for Balgruuf."

The two of them kept close to the outer wall as they made their way up to the Clouds district. Vilkas spared a glance to Jorrvaskr. The outside of the old mead hall was covered in dried blood. A few corpses littering the steps up leading up.

"Gods! Vilkas, look out!"

The Nord felt his brother knock him to the ground as an arrow whipped past them. Hitting his head hard on stony pavement, Vilkas groaned. His vision went black for a moment before coming back and Vilkas picked himself up off the ground. Farkas was ahead of him, charging at another group of rebels coming from the houses on the other side of the plaza. Gulping down another breath of air, he followed.

With the two of them, Vilkas felt better about their odds. But even then, Vilkas knew they were falling back. Vilkas managed to get a few good hits in on a few of his opponents, but he was about to lose his balance again.

Vilkas was losing steam after all this time and they knew it.

Farkas was across the plaza busy with his own fight. Gritting his teeth, Vilkas side stepped, desperately trying to get back to Farkas. He was about to bring his great sword down over someone's head when he heard familiar shouting. Smiling, Vilkas watched as his opponent stared in the direction of the mead hall. His blade landed with a crack and the man went down like a sack of potatoes.

He looked over and Vilkas felt a weight lift off his shoulders. The familiar figures of Athis, Njada, and Torvar were running down the steps, brandishing what weaponry they could.

Athis gave him a slap on the shoulder as he ran past, pushing him back towards Dragonsreach. The Dunmer glanced back at him, "Hey, we've got it here. Take Farkas and get to the keep."

"Thanks, friend!" Vilkas shouted back. Grabbing his brother by the arm, Vilkas rushed up the stairs to Dragonsreach.

…

Valleri felt her stomach drop as she ran down the tower. The grisly yells of the guardsmen mixed with the familiar clang of metal, creating a gruesome symphony below. The guard captain had taken a spot at the top of the tower, picking off what rebel soldiers he could with a bow while the others tried to drive off the soldiers. Anything to thin the herd.

She yelled as she left the tower. The cold washed over her like blanket. Immediately, the Imperial was jumped on by some of the soldiers, each one coming at her from a different direction. Valleri swung the sabre wildly, aiming for arms and legs. At the very least, the Imperial had to immobilize them.

One of her opponents managed to find her back. Valleri tried her best to spin around and face them. In her peripheral vison, she could see them raise their own sword high above their head and Valleri knew she had no time to lose. Barely able to side step in time, Valleri heard a wet thunk. Pausing for a moment she saw the soldier fall to the ground, an arrow protruding out of their neck. Valleri breathed out in relief before meeting the other two still after her.

Spinning back, Valleri ducked and brought the sabre blade across one their arms. Blood spurted out of the hand and Valleri could see fingers fall to the ground, still gripping the hilt of the blade. The man screamed in rage and pain and charged her. Arms flailed wildly in the air as the soldier tried to grab her but at that point it was an act in futility. Valleri already stepped out of the way and kicked him off balance. In a fluid motion, the Imperial thrust her sabre into his arm and pulled it out again.

And with that there was one.

The final soldier stared at her in horror before puffing their chest and charging her with an axe. They yelled like a wild man, tearing Valleri's ear drums to pieces. She cringed as she held the sabre to block, stepping back when the blow landed. There was something to be said of a desperate, scared man.

Valleri evened her own breathing as she waited for the soldier to raise their arm again. She bit her lip hesitantly as she saw her opening. Her blade cut deep into the flesh and the last soldier fell to the ground.

Free at last, Valleri wiped the sweat off her brow. The guardsmen were all busy with their own battles, but they were holding up. Taking a chance, Valleri helped one of them take down another invading soldier. When they were finished, Valleri took them by the shoulder, "They're all distracted now! Run to the city while you can! Tell the Jarl what's happening. Go!"

The guard nodded his head before looking up with a shriek. Distracted, Valleri followed their eyes to the top of the tower. The captain was slumped over and blood dripped down the stony side. His corpse was now a pincushion littered with enemy arrows. Valleri's blood went cold. "Go, now!"

She slapped the guard's arm and they went running. Valleri glanced around the battlefield before she saw a shadow looming over her.

"I heard what you did, you bitch. You're gonna pay," a deep voice said behind her. Suddenly, a hammer landed on the ground right next to her foot.

Valleri didn't think as she broke out into a run. She didn't turn to look behind her, instead focused on the tower door. Sprinting up the stairs, Valleri didn't stop until she made it to the roof.

The sound of her heart pounding against her chest hammered in her ears as she waited for her pursuer to appears. She held her breath when she finally saw the bear helm emerge from the floor below.

The officer's face was contorted in rage, snarling like a wild animal. "You bitch! Whore! You're ruining everything!" he screamed as he brought his hammer down next to her. Valleri was barely able to jump out of the way. Her back now faced the deceased guard captain.

The officer brought the hammer up again, readying the ridiculously large weapon for another swing. Valleri stepped closer and brought the blade across. Her hit failed to land and Valleri couldn't help but curse herself. Cackling, the officer swung the hammer finally. His motion was overzealous however and the hammer flew out of his hand. Valleri threw herself to the ground in an effort to dodge the wayward hammer. The weapon went over the side of the parapet, bringing the corpse of the captain down with it.

The Imperial brought herself up to her hands and knees trying to catch her breath. She could see the shadow of the officer approaching her, but Valleri couldn't find the will to move. Without wasting a moment, the officer placed a swift kick to her ribs and Valleri went sprawling on the ground. All the air escaped her lungs and Valleri felt a familiar burn in left side. With each breath she took, the burn intensified.

By now the Stormcloak officer found a replacement weapon, an old plank, and began circling around the Imperial. Valleri caught a desperate gasp of air and forced her eyes open. Her sabre laid at the other side of the roof, only a few feet away. If she could just make her way there…

Struggling to get to her feet, Valleri was forced to crawl. Each time she made a move, the officer would land a sharp hit to her side or back with his plank. Each time stung more than the last. Valleri felt like she was falling apart at the seams.

"I grow tired now. Time to end this," the officer muttered.

He grabbed a hold of Valleri's collar and slammed her against a pile of crates. Valleri struggled against him. Desperately, she threw her arms at him, hoping that any of her hits would land. Each one was more futile as the last. Valleri was close to just giving up. The iron grip around her neck was growing tighter. With each passing moment, the officer leaned closer over the edge of the parapets.

"Lady! What the fuck?"

"Stay right there, cunt. You're next."

"Don't you fucking dare!"

The conversation echoed in her ears but Valleri couldn't process it any more. Instead, the solution came to her. Her fingers found the hilt of Jalfi's old dagger still on the back part of her belt. Valleri grabbed it as tight as she could and sliced at anything she could find. The officer flew to her side in blinding anger. His hands were still gripping her clothes, but now Valleri had the advantage.

For a split second, she glanced at the guard and mouthed prayer to her goddess.

Dibella would forgive her, but her friends wouldn't.

Valleri grabbed tight around the officer and gave a push with her foot, propelling them over the side of the tower. The officer screamed in her ear and let go as they both fell over the side. Valleri panicked and reached for whatever she could. her finger's barely made contact with stone, threatening to slip. Valleri heard the officer hit the ground with a sickening crash. Her vision started to go black and fuzzy and she felt herself lose her grip.

Valleri felt like she was floating.

Then another hand grabbed her wrist.

Then the burn in her joints grew more intense as she hung there.

Then finally black.


	49. Chapter 49

Vilkas could hear the yelling form inside of Dragonsreach and the hairs on the back of his neck stood up. If anything happened to Balgruuf, all of this could have been for naught. The doors had been flung wide open and he could barely see figures at the end of the hall. He glanced over his shoulder to Farkas. Farkas gave him a quick nod before they both went in.

Holding his breath as he strode forward, Vilkas could see that Balgruuf had his sword drawn, donned in steel plate armor. At least the Jarl wasn't running. Instead, Balgruuf was going to go down with his city if he had to.

Unfortunately, he could see Balgruuf had been surrounded. Squinting, Vilkas could a high-ranking officer and Vignar already had their own weapons drawn. Vilkas held his hand out for Farkas to pause. The brothers moved back to the sides of the wall and made sure to keep out of sight.

"Couldn't you have just snuck in and sliced my throat, Vignar?" Balgruuf asked, tone flat. "This whole thing could have been over in minutes."

"You think this has anything to do with you? I would call you daft, but this has everything to do with you now, Balgruuf." The old man paused and shook his head, "The Empire has overstayed it's welcome, and frankly so have you."

Vilkas could see the expression on the Jarl's face change from annoyance to anger. "That's awfully convenient right now, Vignar. But how long do you think this will last? I know Ulfric much better than you. He doesn't care about the people. He only cares for how much power he can force from others. That's not a man who's going to win this stupid war."

"You're blind to what really matters, Balgruuf. How could you so willingly serve a dying Empire that disregards our traditions."

"There's more to it than you know."

"Stop shouting at each other, you sons of whores," the officer finally said, stepping in between the men.

"What did you just call me?" Balgruuf exclaimed, snarling.

"It's about time you surrendered, Balgruuf. You're surrounded. Your city's been taken," the officer added.

"It's not over until I say it's over."

"Your army is gone! Just give up."

Vilkas shook his head in disappointment. He stepped back into the light, and came up behind Vignar with Farkas following close behind. A smirk came to Balgruuf's face when he recognized the two new comers.

"So, you're back then, Vilkas? I'm surprised to see you in the city." The Jarl paused and glared at Vignar. "Especially considering the circumstances."

Vignar turned to face Vilkas and Farkas, a sneer growing on his face. "What are you two idiots doing here?"

"We have good news," Vilkas said with a smile.

The others stopped and glanced around. Confused, Balgruuf spoke up, "For who exactly?"

"Good news is good news. Doesn't matter," Farkas followed up.

"Get to the point, we don't have all day," Vignar snapped.

Vilkas only glanced over his shoulder with a smug look. "Well I was able to get into the city and I got back about hour, maybe two hours ago." Vilkas' grin grew wider as he watched Vignar exchange a worried look with the Stormcloak officer.

Shocked, the officer began to scream, "How the fuck did you do that? You're just one man!"

"Aye. Just one man, but I've been the Master at Arms for years now. Vignar, I think you were there when I got that title?" The old man breathed out through his nose and all the blood rushed to his face. Vilkas turned back to the officer. "Besides, I'm not sure if what you have is an army. I was able to handle at least fifty just by myself."

Balgruuf let out a deep, throaty cackle. "No wonder you look like you're about to collapse. And Farkas, how'd you end up here?"

"Vilkas was the distraction I needed to bust outta Jorrvaskr."

The officer narrowed his eyes. "That's only two of you. The two of you might be berserkers or something, but that doesn't account for sheer numbers."

"You talk about traditions, but you forget this where the Companions call home. Our friends can handle themselves."

Eyebrows shooting up to the top of his head, the officer turned back to his friend. "Vignar?"

Vignar only stared at the ground in defeat. "They're telling the truth. There's only a few of them, but with the lot Vilkas took out alone and what Farkas could by himself as well," Vignar trailed off.

"Its over then?" the officer asked. No one said a thing to answer him as Farkas bound his and Vignar's hands.

The old man glared at Vilkas through narrowed eyes, "Does this mean that the Companions are choosing sides? Is this what Kodlak would have wanted?"

Vilkas felt those words stab like a knife, but he only crossed his arms with a grin. "It is what he would have wanted. Our side isn't Ulfric's or the Empire though." He paused and knelt down to face Vignar. "Kodlak chose Whiterun's side and so are we."

"You're all traitors!"

"We're not the ones who called in an army to destroy the city, Vignar."

Vignar grumbled out a curse when Vilkas got back up. He spared a quick glance to the officer. The rebel narrowed his eyes, "This isn't he last you've seen of us.

The two prisoners were led to another part of the keep where they wouldn't be able to hear Balgruuf and the remaining Companions.

Balgruuf stared at them in amazement. "Did that really just happen?"

"Yep, absolutely," Farkas answered with a smile. "What now though?"

The Jarl shrugged before sheathing his sword once again, "I assume that your friends are going through the city trying to curb the rebels. I'd imagine that whatever remains of my army is getting revved up for another fight. It should be easy to take control back."

Balgruuf waited for the two of them to follow them to the city. It was going to be hell out there, but at least this time Vilkas didn't have to worry about becoming a martyr anymore.

…

Balgruuf stood on top of the platform next to the Talos statue in the central plaza. The remaining rebel soldiers had been rounded up next to the Gildegreen. Whatever was left of Balgruuf's army was gathered around, patiently waiting for the Jarl to address them.

Vilkas sat on a barrel next to the platform, hands resting on his knees and eyes down. His entire body burned. Sweat dripped into his eyes and down his back. His armor had been soaked with blood though none of it was his. Vilkas didn't give a shit anymore.

He was just exhausted.

Farkas was leaning on the wall next to him, arms crossed. Glancing over to his brother, Farkas spoke in an even tone, "You hangin' in there?"

Vilkas breathed hard through hos nose and closed his eyes for a moment. "For now," he mumbled. He felt sick. Just sick.

"It'll be over soon."

"And then what?"

Farkas only shrugged with a bored look written all over his face. Vikas tried not grumble. Without any warning, Balgruuf started to speak. "It's over as far we're concerned. Those of you who survived have done well. Be proud of the way defended your home. Whiterun will not forget this soon."

The small group of soldiers and guardsmen roared with a cheer. The sound was deafening and Vilkas couldn't concentrate on anything else. By the gods, he was tired.

Balgruuf jumped down from his place on the platform and walked over to the two brothers. Farkas gave him a wavering smile but Vilkas couldn't look up. The Jarl gave him a quick glance before turning to Farkas. "You two did well. I'm not sure how to repay you for the risks you took. Your foster father would have been proud."

"Don't mention it. It's our city to, ya know?" Farkas answered. "If you really want to pay us, we can talk about it later."

"Did Kodlak ever name the next Harbinger?"

"No, he didn't."

"That's unorthodox. Given his sudden death, it's not surprising." Balgruuf paused, "How'll you decide who gets the title though?"

"We dunno. We'll let you know when we decide," Farkas explained. He was fidgeting around now, obviously uncomfortable. Vilkas was the one who usually dealt with the outsiders.

"Keep your secrets then," Balgruuf added with an entertained smirk. He gestured to Vilkas still sitting on the barrel, "Is he okay?"

"He's fine."

The Jarl huffed in disappointment. Vilkas finally looked up when he heard the footsteps approaching them quickly. His blood went cold when recognized the guardsman from the tower. The tower where he left Valleri.

They weren't supposed to be here.

Balgruuf turned around finally and followed Vilkas' gaze to the frazzled man. He held out his arm to keep the guard from running into anything when he approached. The guard panted; eyes wide with panic. They began muttering but none of them could figure out what the poor guard was saying.

"By Shor, calm down soldier. Where in Oblivion did you come from?" Balgruuf demanded.

"The tower. The western watchtower! We were attacked!"

"Shit! How long ago?"

The guard paused to catch his breath as Balgruuf and the brothers waited. Shaking his head, he continued, "Not an hour ago. The contingent of men we had at the tower already started fighting, but last I saw the captain was shot down. Some lady told me to run and I ran!"

Vilkas shot up from his barrel and grabbed the guard by the shoulder, "That woman, was she an Imperial? Short as hell with curly hair?"

"Yeah! That's her. She was the one who told me to run. Look we need help."

"Gladly. I'll get some men then follow you over." Balgruuf started walk off to the others and deliver orders.

Vilkas let go of the guard and turned to Farkas. "That's where I left Valleri. She's in no position to be there."

"Vilkas, no," Farkas chided, shaking his head, "You've done enough. Just stay here."

"No, you don't get it. Valleri can't be there!"

"She'll be fine, Vilkas. Val's smart."

"Farkas! She's an idiot! She's gonna get herself killed." Vilkas bit his lip and pushed past him. "Balgruuf!"

"Yeah, what?" the Jarl asked, now obviously annoyed.

"I need to go with you guys."

"No, absolutely not." Balgruuf looked the Companion up and down. He met Vilkas' eyes and clicked his tongue, "You're at the end of the end of your rope. I'm not letting you go. That's final."

Vilkas felt his blood boil as he turned away. Farkas gave him a sorry look before joining the Jarl. The sick feeling in his stomach began to weigh down on him. Vilkas Just glared as he watched the army leave.

…

With the fighting inside of the city finally over, the townsfolk slowly emerged from their hiding places to evaluate the damage. The first order of business was to put out the fires and bury the dead. There were at least three dead horses in the marketplace that Vilkas could remember and corpses lined the streets every few feet.

Danica was one of the first to emerge, opening up her doors for the near countless injuries. Even the Stormcloak rebels were brought in. It was like Vilkas had said; there was no sides to be taken in this tragedy.

Patients flowed out into the streets and anybody not already clearing the streets or putting out the fires was roped into help. People were determined to grieve later. There was too much work to do.

When Vilkas shuffled into the temple, Danica took one look at him and sighed.

"Leave, leave now."

"You're a mess, you silly man. You won't be any help when you're about to collapse. And don't think I've forgotten the number you did on that poor woman's arm last month." The priestess waved him off with a hand as she turned back to some poor guard. "Now, shoo. Leave me to my work."

"I can't just sit here."

"Yes, you can. If you're not taking orders form the Jarl, you're sure as hell going to take an order from me." Danica swiveled her head and scowled, "Go home, Vilkas."

Narrowing his eyes, Vilkas stood behind her for a moment. She was about to turn back around when Vilkas finally left. Her carefully side stepped some of those sitting on the ground, waiting for someone to help them. The stairs leading up to Jorrvaskr were still stained with blood, but at least the bodies were gone and the doors were open.

Grudgingly, he stepped inside. The interior of the mead hall smelled like old sweat and dust filtered through the air. Apart form the dark red stain Kodlak left behind, there was no signs of any fighting inside. At least Vilkas could breathe easy in that regard.

He slumped into one of the chairs and sure enough, the exhaustion was finally catching up to him. Everything hurt as the Nord tried to find a comfortable sitting position. Still uncomfortable, he slowly took of the armor weighing him down.

Gauntlets and boots slipped to the ground and clattered with metallic ring. Then Vilkas unclasped the sides of the cuirass. His arm protested a he raised it up to get to the straps keeping the metal breastplate on. That too clattered to the ground.

Already he could breathe easier.

Now the Nord could see the pooled dried blood in the crevices of his gambeson and gloves. Small bits of the dried muck fell off and landed in his lap. Vilkas didn't even want to think about what grime was caked onto his skin.

Quietly and with out much pain, he was able to take off the rest of his garments. Vilkas leaned back in his chair when he was finally free. The light tunic he was wearing underneath was drenched in sweat, but even that felt much better than before.

"You're here then? I heard about what you did for the city."

Ysolda emerged from the shadows and sat next to him. She pushed the gambeson away from her spot at the table, tilting her head as she tried to find Vilkas' eyes. He didn't bother to answer her.

"Aela said that you ran off again to find Valleri and that's why you weren't at the funeral." The woman paused as she glanced back at the table, "Did you… Did you ever find her?"

"Aye."

"Well?" Ysolda asked expectantly.

"It's complicated."

"Where is she now?"

Vilkas sucked some air through his teeth. His entire back pulsated with the breath, making him shake. "She's at the watch tower. I left her at the watch tower."

Ysolda paused, furrowing her eyebrows in confusion. "Isn't that where Jarl Balgruuf was going? To fight of the final round of Stormcloaks?"

"Aye."

"Vilkas, what in the world happened?"

Vilkas groaned as he sat up straight in his chair. Rubbing his eyes, he began to speak, "I cut off her brother's hand and she stopped talking to me. By the time we made it to Whiterun, her brother wasn't doing too well so I had Aicantar take him to Markarth."

"Oh, Vilkas," Ysolda trailed off. She sighed, "And Valleri?"

"We only had two horses. One horse wouldn't have carried three people."

Ysolda shook her head, "Vilkas, what in the world were you thinking?"

"I don't know okay? I thought she'd be fine if I left her at that stupid tower. How was I supposed to know that they'd get ambushed? This was the one thing that couldn't go wrong!"

"Valleri will be fine, Vilkas. You know that," Ysolda soothed as he gave him a pat on the shoulder. "She's a strong person and certainly knows how to handle herself."

"No! You didn't see what condition she was when I left. I shouldn't have left."

"You need to stop worrying. Things will work out, okay? You'll feel better if you get some sleep. I'll wake you when they get back," the woman offered as she got up to get a blanket.

Vilkas stared out the window, eyes widening as he saw a new wave of soldiers begin to flood into the plaza below. His heart raced as he saw his brother following after a stretcher. Without a thought, Vilkas clattered out of the chair. He scrambled thoughtlessly outside, pacing around the rubble and people littering the ground.

Farkas took notice of him and grabbed his brother by the arm before he ran into the stretcher. The breath was knocked out of him when he saw face of person being brought in.

Valleri's face was covered in smudges of dark blood and her face was contorted a painful scowl. Each breath she took was quick and shallow. Vilkas' eyes followed down to her chest where her shirt had been torn open. Her skin was covered in massive, deep purple bruises and her side had swelled underneath.

He glanced back to Farkas, wide eyed, "What happened?"

"She almost fell off the top of the tower somehow," Farkas stammered out.

"How? How the fuck did she…?"

Farkas shook his head, "I dunno. Some people said some other guy also fell off. It was probably a fight."

One of the guards carrying the stretcher turned to the frantic man, "She spotted the enemy army coming from the north and struck down the commander when the captain died. This woman's a hero!"

Vilkas glanced down at the Imperial. He could have sworn tears were welling up in the corners of his eyes. Without hesitation, he followed her into the temple, stepping over the others to keep up. Valleri audibly groaned as they set the stretcher down.

Danica didn't waste anytime rushing over. She hissed at the Nord, "I thought I told you to leave already!"

He shook his head, "Nope I'm not leaving Valleri."

Danica sighed with frustration. She waved Farkas over, "I can't have you hovering causing a distraction, you fool." She turned back to Valeri, wiping the blood of her face, revealing more bruises. "I'll let you know when you can see her," she added.

Reluctantly, Vilkas followed his brother back to Jorrvaskr. Every few feet, he looked over his shoulder back to the temple. Leaving Valleri there by herself felt so wrong.

…

Valleri had been moved to the back room on the first floor of the mead hall only a few hours later. The sun was already long gone and the Companions were mostly asleep. Vilkas found himself sitting next to her bed side, watching the rise and fall of her chest.

Danica had no doubt that her ribs were broken again. Valleri had taken a beating on top of that tower. All she had to show for was a purple mosaic of bruises covering almost every inch of her body. For now, though, Valleri was asleep and safe.

Vilkas didn't move his eyes away from her when he heard the light footsteps coming into the room. Ysolda paused and sighed when she saw Valleri.

"It's shame that she almost died trying to save us all," the woman whispered.

"I can't help but feel like it was all my fault. It's like Kodlak all over again."

"Vilkas, what happened happened. Stop beating yourself up over it and move forward."

There was a silent pause when Vilkas glanced back up to his friend. "This shouldn't have happened. If I lose her again…" he trailed off. His voice was wet and shaky and Vilkas hated himself for it.

Ysolda placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Vilkas, you don't have to answer, but are you in love with Valleri?"

Again, Vilkas paused. He continued to stare at Valleri, finally taking her hand in his. "I think I am," he said, furrowing his eyebrows in confusion. "How could I not be?"

"Vilkas, you have to tell her."

Breathing in sharply, Vilkas let go of Valleri's hand and got up from his chair. "Not yet. There're some things I still have to do."

Ysolda smiled slightly as she took his seat, "You're a fool, Vilkas."

"I know."

The Nord took one last glimpse at Valleri before heading downstairs. He had a letter to write.


	50. Chapter 50

Valleri woke up slowly, washed in bright, warm sunlight. Everything around her was bright green and blue while enormous trees loomed behind her. She was lying flat on her back on the bank of a river. Sunlight filtered through the leaves, creating natural glassy patterns on the wild grass.

This wasn't the Gold Coast Valleri remembered, but she was close.

Perhaps she was in West Weald?  
Valleri lifted herself to a sitting position and rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. This was weird. Last she could remember, the Imperial was fighting a war in Skyrim. Maybe that was just some dream. Honestly, Valleri wasn't sure what was what.

Getting up and dusting off her dress, Valleri turned to see a small dirt path following the bank of the river. She sighed, there wasn't much else to do but follow it. Walking at brisk pace, Valleri tried to keep quiet. Her surroundings seemed harmless enough but Valleri felt herself pulled forward. Anything could have been watching her.

All sense of time had been thrown to the wind, but it couldn't have taken Valleri more than ten minutes before coming across the aged priory. The buildings were tall and well kept, but still showed their age. Kudzu and morning glories wound their way through the old stones, but someone had artfully trimmed them back to reveal stained-glass windows. Between the chapel and the living quarters were well tended fields, and behind that, Valleri could see a sheep fold.

Valleri paused on the path and stared.

This entire situation was strange but nothing compared to the feelings of nostalgia and longing that now filled her.

Why was this place so familiar?  
Valleri stepped back when she saw an older woman walk out of the threshold of the living quarters. She looked up and paused when their eyes met. A bright, happy smile grew on the woman's face as she walked to meet Valleri.

On their own volition, Valleri's feet carried her forward. Pressure seemed to build as she began to make out the exact features on the woman's face. Her eyes were dark and inviting and light blonde hair framed her face. When they met, the woman brought Valleri into a tight embrace.

"Valleri, I can't believe it's you. You've grown so much."

The Imperial woman broke the hug and stepped back. She glanced around the priory. "Where am I? And who're you? Are you…" Valleri trailed off, shaking her head, "It can't be. You can't be Ulia, can you?"

"You remember me?" The tears were almost visible on the woman's cheeks.

"But you died. I remember that very clearly." Valleri paused, taking Ulia's hands in her own. She swiveled her head to look at the priory grounds. "Where are we? Am I dead?"

"You ask so many questions. No wonder Alastaros liked you." Ulia's smile grew wider as she gestured around, "This is the Priory of the Nine. This is where you were born. Come now, I'll make you something to eat and we have much to speak about."

Valleri didn't feel any apprehension as she went into the living quarters. The table had been set with flowers and woven cloth and the room was colored rainbow by the stained-glass windows. The smell of fresh food wafted into the room. Ulia didn't bother to close the door behind her as she left for the kitchen, letting fresh air come filter through the building.

Everything about this felt familiar, but Valleri was still confused. All of this felt right.

Ulia came back in a few moments with bread and vegetables and a bowl of stew. Valleri was reluctant to eat and waited for her mother to start. The younger woman stared at the table with a worried smirk, "Do you know how I got here?"

Ulia tilted her head, "Eat, dear. You'll think more clearly."

Gingerly, Valleri broke off a piece of the loaf and dipped it into the stew. The food melted in her mouth and Valleri almost melted herself. She hadn't had something this good for a long time, even when she was living in Anvil. "I'm not actually dead, I take it. The dream about the war was true then."

"Unfortunately so. You've really gotten yourself in quite the predicament, haven't you?"

"You're not disappointed in me, are you?" Valleri asked. She could feel her cheeks flushing pink as she glanced up to Ulia.

The woman only chuckled to herself. "Not at all, Valleri. I don't think I ever could be. Neither is Alastaros or Uriel."

"Good to know." Valleri paused again and took another bite of the bread. "How did I get here if I'm not dead?"

"You tell me."

The younger woman breathed out sharply and stared out the door. Insects chirped outside and she could hear the wind rustling through the trees as clear as a bell. "Last I remember, Vilkas left me at the watch tower and I was in a fight with the Stormcloak commander. He had me pinned against the side and all I could think to do was throw myself over the edge."

Ulia shook her head as she looked at her daughter. "You're so much more like your father than I realized."

"Am I?" Valleri asked, eyes wide with fascination.

"Yes, more than he would feel comfortable with. He used to pull similar stunts."

Valleri paused momentarily, staring at the bowl of stew in front of her. "He wasn't a monster, was he?"

"Valleri?"

The woman shrugged as she leaned back in the seat. "I mean now that I've actually met you, I can't imagine that my father was a bad person. You're so nice. But, to be honest, I've heard nothing about him either."

"It's natural, I suppose, that you'd be curious about your first father." Ulia paused, brushing some hair behind her ear. "He was kind and sweet. Uriel had your eyes and freckles. He was an idiot too. Wayward I guess would be a fitting word." She looked back to Valleri, a fond smile all over her face. "How could I not love him? And then you came along; born right after the war ended and Uriel was taken away."

"He died?"

"He was taken away by the Emperor's men under the assumption that he had sabotaged some sort of campaign during the war. But that's neither here nor there, my love. What matters is what's happening right now."

"Oh right. I almost forgot," Valleri trailed off.

"How did you get to watch tower in the first place? I thought you were in Skyrim for other reasons."

Valleri felt her face flush, "I was. I mean I am. It's just that Vilkas and I had this horrible fight and I ran off by myself to find Lex and Alastaros. We would have died if not for Vilkas. Then I couldn't just let him get ambushed in the city. I had to do something. I can't just lose him."

Ulia tilted her head with a frown, "You care for him, don't you?"

Valleri jolted up in her seat, gesturing wildly, "What is that even supposed to mean? Mother, Vilkas is my best friend. I dunno." The younger woman paused, rubbing her forehead in frustration. "Farkas and Ysolda asked the same thing. But after that fight, I can't be sure. Gods! I hate feeling this mixed up."

Ulia got up from her chair and approached her daughter. Gently, she placed a hand on Valleri's shoulder. "It's confusing, I know. But Valleri, talk to him and you'll get your answers. I guarantee it."

Valleri attempted to smirk, "Divines, I hope you're speaking from experience."

"I am, don't worry. I wouldn't dare give you bad advice. And before you go…"  
Valleri's eyes went wide as she stared at her mother, "Wait, I have to go?"

"You must. You have to live, even if it hurts so much to leave you again," Ulia whispered as she took Valleri by the shoulders. "Listen to me though, disregarding everything you're doing, don't let the Thalmor get that necklace. Don't let them restart the war. If there's one legacy Uriel and I want to leave for you, it's the need to fight for those who aren't strong enough to protect themselves. Even if it means going against an empire." The older woman shook her head, tears in her eyes, "Especially if its against an empire."  
"That means I'll have to stay in Skyrim longer. I want to go home so much though."

"I know, my love. I know." Ulia looked behind her shoulder briefly before turning back to Valleri. She took her daughter into one last embrace and kissed her forehead. "You have to go back now, Valleri. If you only remember one thing from this meeting, remember that I can't do anything but love you. I love you so much, my daughter. So, so much."

Valleri reluctantly let go of her mother and stepped back, nearly tripping on the chair behind her. Blackness began to take over the periphery of her vision and her throat began to constrict. In only a few moments, Valleri couldn't breathe at all. Her legs buckled underneath her and Valleri fell to her knees. She grasped at her neck and coughed violently, hoping that somehow, she would be able to breathe again. Suddenly, the desperate gasps for air stopped and Valleri could no longer keep her eyes open. She felt her head crack as she finally hit the floor.

…

Valleri bolted upwards in the bed, screaming and shaking. Stopping suddenly, Valleri grasped at her arms, trying anything to chase away the cold feeling that ate her up. Each breath in she took was ragged and her side flared up like a flame.

But she could breathe.

Finally calm, Valleri took a look at her surroundings. She was sitting in a bed in the back room of Jorrvaskr, a far cry from the tower top where she fought the Stormcloak commander. It wasn't the pastoral scene of the priory either.

Sunlight filtered in through the window next to the bed, illuminating the room without the need for candles. Books and quills were scattered about the room, covered in a thick layer of dust. The last person who had the room was Skjor right before he died.

Shivers ran up the Imperial's spine. She wasn't going die. She was still alive.

Valleri turned her head when she heard someone running towards the door. Ysolda's face melted from concern to relief when she saw the Imperial sitting up in bed. "Oh, thank the gods! You're up!"  
Valleri smirked, "I feel like shit, Ysolda."

"Its nice to see you again too, Val."

Sighing, Valleri rubbed her eyes with the palm of her hand, "How long have I been out?"

The Nord woman fidgeted uncomfortably, "You've been in and out of consciousness for about three days now."

Eyes going wide with shock, Valleri felt a weight drop on her shoulders. Three whole days… She shook her head, "That can't be right, can it?"

"It is," Ysolda remarked as she pulled up a chair.

Valleri sighed as she stared at the blankets in front of her. "What happened exactly? Is Vilkas okay?"

"Are you talking to him again?"

"Well, no. But the last thing I said to him before he rode off is that I hated him. I feel terrible. Absolutely awful. I need to apologize." Valleri took in a deep breath and immediately started to wheeze. Her side shot up with pain and Valleri had to double over.

Ysolda placed a hand on her back and rubbed in rhythmic circles. "Valleri, Vilkas is fine. He saved the city. You should be proud of him."

Valleri stole quick glimpse of her friend. "You said he was fine but you're talking about him like he's dead."

"I assure you, he's not!" Ysolda stammered, waving her hands wildly. "He's not dead. Vilkas nearly lost it when we found out what happened. Last I talked to him, Vilkas said he had to write a letter and then he left. Something about unfinished business in a Dwemer ruin."

Valleri felt the room drop from under her. Pinching the bridge of her nose, she spoke, "That fucking idiot."

"If it makes you feel better, he drug Athis along with him."

"Well, that doesn't make me feel too much better," Valleri mumbled, still staring at the blankets. Everything still felt so cold and now she'd have to wait longer to make things right. She turned back to Ysolda, "Have you heard anything about my brother He was with us before we went to the tower."

"I dunno," Ysolda shook her head, crossing her arms with a frown. "Vilkas said he cut off your brother's arm. What happened there?"

"Long story. And it was just a hand, albeit his good hand. I'm just," Valleri paused, breathing out sharply, "Worried about him."  
"He'll probably be along soon enough, Val. I wouldn't worry," Ysolda said.

"I know, I know." Valleri mustered an uncertain smile and looked out the window. Only a few piles of dirt stained snow lined the edges of the training yard. Winter was finally winding down.

She breathed out, still wary of the pain in her side. Everything hurt, but nothing like that. Valleri could hear more footsteps approaching the room and looked up. An annoyed Danica came into the room followed by the Jarl and a few other Imperial soldiers, each one looking smugger than the last. Valleri felt her stomach churn at the thought of having them there.

"So, you're finally awake then? Did you have a good nap? No nightmares?" Danica asked, taking Ysolda's seat and pulling it closer to the bed.

Valleri shrugged, "Strange dreams, but I still feel like I was trampled by a horse."

"That's to be expected." The old priestess scowled as she scanned Valleri's face and neck. "Those bruises haven't swelled to much, which is good. You're looking less like a brigand now. I'm going to have to have you take off your shirt so I can look at your chest," Danica ordered, leaning back in the chair. She turned back to Balgruuf and his posse, "You might want to leave for this."

The Imperial shook her head, "No, it's fine. I can't bring myself to care if they see anything. It's just skin."

"If, you're sure then," Danica shrugged. Valleri could see Ysolda's face go white as she moved to the foot of the bed. Jarl Balgruuf stepped back, pushing the soldiers to the far end of the room. The Imperial could tell he was trying to focus on anything other than her bare chest. Valleri grimaced as she held her arms up, gasping for a shaky breath as she pulled the shirt above her head. Ysolda didn't hesitate to take the garment to hold onto.

Danica motioned for Valleri to hold her left arm up in the air and started to feel the cracks in Valleri's ribs. She grimaced as she spoke in an even tone, "Have you been coughing up any discolored fluid?"  
"Like blood?"  
"Yeah, blood too. Just anything unusual."

Valleri shook her head, "No. I just woke up so I'm gonna assume no."

"Well," Danica paused, this time pressing harder on the bones. Valleri audibly winced at the pain, cringing back. "The good news is that your lungs haven't been stabbed or bleeding out. The bad news is that this is the second time you've broken your ribs like this Valleri. I would consider it a personal miracle your lungs are fine too."

The Jarl finally piped up form his spot in the back while Valleri grabbed her shirt from Ysolda. "How long will take for her to heal up?"

Danica clicked her tongue, "That's the caveat here. Broken ribs like this take about six weeks to heal." She turned back to Valleri, "But Valleri, I think you should retire from the Companions."

Valleri perked up, "Wait what?"

Everyone stared at the priestess as they waited for her answer. "You're not built to go off fighting large battles like this. Your body won't be able to keep up for too much longer at the rate you're going. Technically, you could get to a point where you could. But that'd take years and you're not getting any younger."

The Imperial stared at the blankets in front of her for a long second before whispering, "Now what am I supposed to do? I can't stop working just like that."

Ysolda took a sharp breath in, furrowing her eyebrows, "Val, I have to agree with Danica. You almost died. Twice." She moved around the bed to face her friend. "Besides it's not like you'll get booted out of Jorrvaskr. They consider you family here," she added.

Valleri sighed and rubbed the bridge of her nose, "Fine, but just let me think for a few moments."

"Good, good. I have some more people to see, so I'll be taking my leave" Danica said with a motion of her hand.

"Hey wait! Danica," Valleri called out before the priestess left the room. "Has a Redguard come see you at all over the last few days? His hand was amputated and needed to be looked at."

Danica paused, "I have actually. He came into the temple right as I left. I was going to see him now. I can let him know you asked for him if you'd like."

Valleri nodded and let the older woman leave. Ysolda took a seat on the edge of Valleri's bed as Jarl Balgruuf took the chair. The Imperial woman stared at him. "What did you need?"

"We came to thank you for protecting the city," the Jarl spoke plainly. "I think you had other motives for going into that battle, but regardless, without any action we'd all be dead."

"You're right, I didn't do it to help the city," Valleri almost snapped. She glared at the legionnaires behind Balgruuf, "And what are you here for?"

"We had a few questions, ma'am." One of the legionnaires stepped closer and Valleri could see that he was still holding onto his helmet. He scowled at her as he spoke, "You're from Cyrodiil correct? Are you apart of the legion?"  
"Oblivion, no!"

"Well then, that changes things. If you're not in the Legion and you don't live here, why were in a battle that had nothing to do with you? Whose side are you on, Valleri?"

The Imperial's blood boiled as she tried not fling herself out of the bed and throttle the soldier. She glanced between her hands and the legionnaire. "You think I wanted to be here when the tower got attacked? You think I had the liberty of a choice between any side beyond my own survival? You don't get it! Its like the Great War all over again! The Legion don't realize that innocent bystanders become collateral damage."

Valleri paused, breathing rapidly against the burn in her side. The legionnaire huffed as he looked down at the floor. "Ma'am, please understand there's a lot of moving pieces. We're just trying to get answers so we can prepare for Ulfric's next attack."

"You don't get it either. This whole entire war is a farce. No one should be fighting in the first place."

Balgruuf sighed when he looked at the pained look on the Imperial's face. "You're tired and we'll let you get some rest now. Thank you." Wordlessly, the Jarl rounded up his friends and left the room. Ysolda didn't move but exchanged a pitiful glance with Valleri. The Imperial couldn't bring herself to say anything further.

…

"Valleri!"

The Imperial woman looked up from the book she was reading to see a flash of black and purple rush into her room. She looked at the new figure with wide eyed wonder, "Lexius!"

Her brother threw his arms around her, burying his face in her shoulders. Without hesitation, she hugged the Redguard back, smiling widely. Lexius pulled back, keeping a hold of her hand. "Divines, it's really you, isn't it?" he said. Valleri could see his eyes start to tear up and she could only nod. "That priestess, she told me what happened to you. But, man, you look like death."

Valleri smirked. "No more than you do!"

"You got me there," Lexius laughed. He paused looking over Valleri's face. "Seriously though, why did you do that, Val? You could have died."

"Lex, there's a lot going on," Valleri said, placing a hand on the Redguard's cheek.

"Well, then tell me. I have a right to know what's happened. For instance, who's that Nord you were with or how did you get that scar on your face?"

Valleri rolled her head back and sighed. Lexius was right, he did have a right to know. Valleri spoke quietly with a frown, "The scar same from the bandits who attacked us. It feels so long ago now. And the Nord's name is Vilkas. He's the one who helped me find you and Alastaros. We owe him our lives, Lex."

"Important man, then."

Valleri closed her eyes and smiled. "Very important. How are you feeling by the way?"

Lexius sighed with a grin before holding up his right arm where the hand was missing, "Things could be better. But hey I'm still here, right?"

"You should right a letter to Rostam. Let them know you're still alive."

"Oh," Lexius paused, wide eyed. "You're right. They're probably worried sick, aren't they?"

Valleri nodded her head. "Just do it, okay?"

"I will, I will," Lexius muttered with a wave of his hand, "Hey, Val?" He waited as Valleri hummed in response, and his face went dark. "Did you ever find out where the necklace was? Or are we not doing that anymore?"

Valleri went cold. Her face was blank, mimicking the emptiness she felt suddenly. "Listen, Lex. We need to actually talk about that. There's more to it than just finding the necklace."

Valleri stopped when she saw Ysolda come into the room. There was an awkward silence and Valleri's chest suddenly tightened. Lexius looked the Nord woman up and down. Finally, he turned to Valleri with a smirk, "And who's this?"

Valleri gestured between the two of them, "Lex, this is my friend Ysolda. Ysolda, this is Lexius."

"Oh, wait!" Ysolda exclaimed. "You're Val's brother!" The newcomer came into the room and shook the man's good hand. "She's told me all about you. Val's been looking for you for months now."

An uncertain smile formed on Lexius' face, "Grand. I have no idea who you are. I hope Valleri hasn't told you anything too compromising."

"It depends on what your definition of compromising is," Ysolda said with a cocked eyebrow.

Lexius looked back to Valleri, "Oh, I like her."

Valleri chuckled to herself, feeling much lighter. She glanced to Ysolda, "Is there something you needed?"

The Nord woman shook her head, "Not really. Farkas and I were wondering if we could join you for dinner in here."

"Yeah, go get him," the Imperial said. She was silent as she watched her friend leave.

"Who's Farkas?"

Valleri shook her head with fond exasperation, "Don't worry, Lex. You'll like him."


	51. Chapter 51

Valleri sat with her back straight up against the edge of the chair as Ysolda tied a sheet around her neck. She could hear the woman start to bring out her tools and Valleri felt chills run up her spine. Still, Valleri had asked for this. A haircut was long overdue.

Lexius sat across the table from her, running his hand through what was left of own his hair. He smirked and looked back over to Valleri. "You look like a sheep getting sheared for the first time, Val."

The Imperial woman scowled, "Oh, shut up." Valleri paused and breathed out sharply through her nose. "Besides, it's not like you didn't make a fit when Ysolda cut off that mane of yours."

Lexius only shook his head and kept his mouth shut as he watched Valleri. The Imperial woman shivered as he felt Ysolda start snipping the ends. It wasn't long before the Nord woman spoke up, still working, "Do you usually keep your hair that long, Lexius? It was almost past your shoulders. Even Farkas doesn't keep his hair that long."

"This is the first time I've been able to feel my neck without getting my hand caught," Lexius muttered off handedly. He looked back up to Ysolda, "That being said, my hair is usually longer than Val's."

Valleri shook her head, "You know what, Lex? I never understood why."

The Redguard shrugged. "I know how to take care of my hair unlike a certain Imperial I know."

"Oh, ouch," Ysolda paused, grinning, "He's got you there, Valleri."

"Wait, Ysolda! What are you saying?" Valleri cried out, tilting her head back.

"We're not being mean, Val. Your hair has a nice, wavy texture to it, but you don't do anything to keep it fluffy," Lexius explained, gesturing with his arm. "And then you end up looking like a scarecrow."

Valleri sighed with frown, "I'm usually too preoccupied to manage it like you do."

Lexius only rolled his eyes and exchanged an exasperated glance with Ysolda. The latter looked down to Valleri and placed a hand on the Imperial's shoulder. "How short do you want it, love?"

Valleri shook her head, "I couldn't care less. I just want most of it gone."

"That," Ysolda paused, "That doesn't help me though."

The woman looked over to Lexius. The Redguard shrugged, "To the chin should be fine for Val."

Ysolda ran her fingers through Val's hair. "That's so short though. Valleri, have you ever thought of growing it out?"

"No, absolutely not," Valleri retorted in annoyed tone. "I did that once and my hair was everywhere. It was horrible."

"I remember that," Lexius added.

"Right? No, I need it gone."

Ysolda shrugged and started cutting again, "If you say so."

Valleri let her shoulders down as Ysolda worked on her hair. Lexius would start humming every so often; always a tune that reminded Valleri of her days in Anvil. She closed her eyes and did her best to breathe normally. Her side and joints still burned every time she moved, but it was nothing compared to before. The sudden peace was doing her some good.

Ysolda stopped snipping suddenly and pulled her hands away from Valleri's head. Curious, the Imperial looked over her shoulder. Farkas had walked into the room, pecking a quick kiss on Ysolda's cheek.

Ysolda smiled, "What's going on? I thought you had some things to finish up downstairs."

"Vilkas and Athis are back," the Nord explained.

Valleri perked up, skin going cold. The hairs on the back of her neck stood up and the wind felt like it had been knocked out of her. Lexius tilted his head to meet her eyes. "Valleri? Are you all right?"

The Imperial scrunched her eyes together for a moment before breathing in sharply. Without thinking Valleri clattered out of her chair, nearly tripping Ysolda.

"Valleri, wait! I'm not quite done yet!"

She slowed as she saw the two Companions walking up the steps outside. They both looked tired and dirty, but they were back. For some reason, Valleri almost couldn't reach for the door handle. Taking a deep breath in, Valleri forced the door open.

Both Vilkas and Athis paused as Valleri stood above them. Cold seeped under her skin and into her bones, but Valleri didn't feel empty. Not now. Athis scowled and turned to Vilkas, mumbling, before walking past the Imperial. Slowly, Valleri descended the steps to meet Vilkas half way. The Nord only looked at her with steely eyes.

His eyes were clear again, mimicking the cloudless sky above them. Nothing clouded them; no anger, no hate, no need for revenge.

Valleri missed those eyes.

"You're still alive. You're alive," Vilkas stammered. He grimaced and looked down at the ground. "Even though so much time had already passed, I feel like I'm seeing it for the first time."

Vilkas took her hand, rubbing her palm with his thumb. He felt warm to her and Valleri wanted to throw herself at him. But somehow, even then, she couldn't bring herself to step closer. None of this felt real.

"I'm sorry I left. When I saw you after the battle at the watch tower… I had to do something." Vilkas breathed in shakily and any hints of composure melted from his expression. "If you died, I wouldn't have been able to live with myself after how we parted ways."

Valleri eyes fell downwards, staring at his hand. Her chest tightened and she closed her eyes in attempt to keep everything in. Composure somewhat intact, the Imperial swallowed hard and looked up, eyes steady.

"I'm sorry."

Hesitantly, Vilkas let go of her hand. Valleri stepped past him and descended the steps. She fought against herself to not look back. She couldn't look back.

…

The tension in Ysolda's chest increased as she watched the two of them from the window. Farkas kept close to her, arm draped over her shoulder. Meanwhile, Athis and Lexius were glued to the other window. She watched Vilkas' mouth move but the woman could only guess what he was saying.

Valleri didn't move as he grabbed her hand. The Imperial stood like a doll before letting go of Vilkas and walking away. Deep down Ysolda thought she understood.

She grabbed onto Farkas, "I really hoped things would have been different."

"I don't get it," he whispered, shaking his head. "Did he just get rejected?"

"I don't know, Farkas. I don't know."

Athis sighed and looked outside the window with annoyance, "What fools. I can't believe I had to pick up scattered body parts for this. I'm done. Good bye." The elf harrumphed and walked off into the distance. Ysolda glanced over to Lexius. The poor man stared wide eyed at the ground.

That's right. The old Altmer who died was his father also.

The door creaked open and Vilkas stepped in. He groaned when he saw the three of them lined up at the windows. "Seriously? You really had to watch that?"

Ysolda grimaced, "Sorry."

Vilkas threw his head back in frustration, "It doesn't matter. It's not we actually talked. It doesn't fucking matter." The Nord walked off in a huff. Lexius looked back at Vilkas for only a moment before running after him. Ysolda and Farkas were alone once again.

Ysolda looked back out the window and grabbed tighter onto Farkas' hand. He felt warm against her and Ysolda didn't want to lose that. She loved him too much.

"Hey, let's get married finally."

Ysolda looked up, "Did I hear that right?"

Farkas' eyes didn't move from the window, but he was smiling. The man's face was bright red and his smile began to shine the longer Ysolda looked up at him. She could feel herself begin melt. He stood up taller and glimpsed down at her, "Yeah."

Ysolda's eyes fell to the ground, "Well, it has been a while and we're all but living together."

"That's not really an answer."

"Ask me again."

Farkas squirmed, but his smile only grew. "Marry me?"

Ysolda turned to face Farkas and stood on her toes to kiss him. He wrapped his arms around her waist and held her only a few inches away. Ysolda laughed, "Yes! Of course, I'm marrying you. I honestly couldn't say no after all this time."

…

Vilkas stopped when he heard someone running after him. He groaned and turned around. "Ria, I'm a little busy now."

Lexius reeled back when Vilkas turned to face him. The Nord immediately felt horrible. He sighed and rubbed his eyes with frustration. "Bones. I'm sorry. I thought you were someone else."

An uncertain grin grew on Lexius' face, "Yeah, I have no idea who Ria is. But you're Vilkas right?"

"Aye."

"I was hoping we could talk for a bit."

Vilkas furrowed his eyebrows and stared down at the shorter man. He breathed out sharply, "Yeah, probably. I owe you an explanation, don't I?"

"You think?" There was an awkward silence before the Redguard spoke up again, voice a touch shaky, "Sorry, that was crass."

Shrugging, Vilkas waved for Lexius to follow him up the stairs to the Skyforge. Eorlund had been absent, trying to make up for Vignar's bad decisions, which left the forge cold. Vilkas turned back to Lexius, "Careful on your way up. I can't tell you how often Valleri slips on these stairs."

"Val's not the most surefooted, is she?"

Vilkas nodded his head and waited for Lexius to take a seat on the work space next to forge. He leaned against the rockface next to his guest, arms crossed. He tilted his head towards the Redguard, "What'd you want to know?"

"Anything," Lexius exclaimed. "Val's been weirdly quiet about everything. Maybe you could start in Mzinchaleft?"

Vilkas paused, thinking about what had happened. Of course, Valleri didn't want to talk about it. He wouldn't either had he been in her position. Vilkas inhaled and spoke as clearly as he could, "I wasn't there to start with. Valleri and I had a big fight and she left to find you and your father. I came to my senses a little bit after and followed her."

"Who was that other Altmer there? What was his name?"

"His name's Cyrenial. The damn elf has been tailing you guys for about two years now. He's tried cornering Valleri for information about you and Alastaros a few times before."

Lexius rubbed his eyes, "For the love of Akatosh. He wasn't actually after us, was he?"

"No," Vilkas said, shaking his head. "He was after that necklace you came here for. Valleri would know more probably. She tried explaining it to me a few times before, but I guess I keep forgetting."

Lexius looked back over to Vilkas with a sour look, "What happened after you found us?"

"We were attacked by a centurion that caused a cave in. Your hand got crushed. Sorry about that by the way."

"So that's how that happened," Lexius trailed off. He breathed in deeply and smirked, "Honestly, this fucking sucks, especially since I'm not ambidextrous like Val and Alastaros. I'm surprised she didn't just stop you from cutting it off in the first place."

"She was a bit hysterical about what was happening and I understand why" Vilkas paused, "What makes you say that though?"

The Redguard furrowed his eyebrows, "She didn't tell you?" He waited for Vilkas' nonexistent answer before continuing. "Val's never been good with amputations. The last plague victim on the Gold Coast wandered into the chapel when she was about eight or so and the priestesses had her help. Valleri couldn't handle it. I dunno all the details, but the same thing happened to her mom before she died."

Vilkas' face went wide, "No, she didn't tell me any of the details. Valleri only said that she wasn't suited to it."

"It's not something Val really enjoys talking about. I'm frankly surprised she's told you that much."

"Oh," Vilkas stuttered

"Alastaros also died in the quake then?"

Vilkas felt himself go cold. "He did. You were still out of it, but Valleri was about to get crushed. I wasn't quick enough to push her out of the way but Alastaros was. You can probably imagine what happened."

Lexius stared blankly at the ground, "That's… that's such a horrible way to go. Poor Alastaros. No wonder Valleri hasn't said anything." The Redguard looked back to Vilkas, "Maybe Val will talk to you if she's not talking to me?"

"Didn't you see what happened when I saw her earlier?"

Lexius waved the Nord off with his hand, "If you're really as close as you say you are, Val will come around. It's been a weird few weeks. Just try again, see how it goes."

"If she doesn't keep avoiding me maybe," Vilkas added, mumbling under his breath.

Lexius laughed, "Vilkas, Valleri has more integrity than that. She's a bit flaky, but we both know she sticks to her word. Give her time."

Vilkas didn't say anything after that and watched as Lexius bid him goodbye. The sun was already starting to go down in the distance but Vilkas couldn't feel the chill yet. The Nord was too nervous to go back inside. Vilkas didn't mind staying outside for a little bit longer though.

…

Valleri sat at the table in the main hall, looking at the two moons drifting across the sky through the windows. She absentmindedly ran her hand through hair and it felt oddly invigorating now that it was the right length. Valleri spent half an hour waiting for Ysolda to get home so she could finish. The Imperial was unusually quiet as she sat at her friend's table and Ysolda was nice enough to not say anything.

Now that everyone was asleep, Valleri felt comfortable to sit at the table again.

She turned her head as she heard someone open the door and come in from the cold. Valleri's heart nearly stopped when she saw Vilkas pause, eyes wide and mouth agape. He hadn't been expecting her there.

Breathing out, Valleri spoke in a quiet tone, "If you want to come in, do so. It's your home, isn't it?"

"It is, but are you up for company? There's still something I need to tell you," Vilkas finished, still standing in place.

Valleri bit her lip and glanced at the floor. "There's no harm in it, I guess. I have some things to say too."

Tentatively, Vilkas took a seat on the bench next to her and looked out the window. "Your hair looks nice. Like when we first met."

Valleri smirked, "You remember that?"

"Like yesterday," Vilkas nodded. "Your ribs were broken then too and Kodlak had me take a look at your sword arm. Which was also broken for the most part."

"I would have kicked your ass if I hadn't been so beat up back then," Valleri added with a chuckle. She looked back to Vilkas. "Hey, Vi?"

"Yeah?"

"That's not why you're here."

The Nord sighed, "Valleri, what were you thinking when you jumped off that tower?"

"I… I was thinking how much I couldn't forgive myself for telling you that I hated you. But, honestly, I didn't have the will to go on much longer."

"Has that changed?"

Valleri nodded, "For the most part. After Alastaros knocked me out of the way of the centurion, I was pretty devastated. But I understand why he did that. He wanted me to chase after Cyrenial too. But right now, I'm back to square one."

"I went back to Mzinchaleft almost as soon as you came back. I tried to find something that help you find the necklace so you'd have something to look forward to. I had this stupid idea that if I didn't get something that would get you closer to that goal, you wouldn't want to come back."

Taking a sharp breath in, the Imperial took a moment before talking again, "Did you find him there still?"

Vilkas paused and rubbed the back of his neck, "Well there were pieces of him. Athis and I buried what was left."

Valleri could feel tears start to burn the corners of her, "Thank you. That means a lot. Not just to me, but to Lex and Skeeva as well."

"It was the least I could. Especially since I'm partially to blame."

"You're not though. Things happened and you apologized. We both said stuff we're ashamed of and we almost lost each other." She looked over her shoulder at Vilkas, "I'm just glad you're here again."

"Me too," Vilkas muttered. The Imperial could see a small smile grown on his face. "Honestly, I felt a bit lost when we stopped talking. I never thought I'd get in a funk like that." He continued, "Are you healing up okay?"

"Yeah, but Danica asked me to retire from the Companions. She doesn't think my body will be able to keep up anymore."

"You'll figure something out."

"I know," Valleri sighed, "I had a dream about my mother too."

Vilkas arched an eyebrow, "Your mother? The healer you told me about?"

Valleri hummed affirmatively before speaking again, "She was living in an old priory where I was born apparently and she told me about my birth father too. It all felt so real. She," Valleri's breath hitched in her throat as she though back, "Ulia was so kind. It's hard to say you miss something if you never had it. I dunno if this makes any sense."

The Nord wrapped an arm around her shoulder and let Valleri rest her head on his arm. "No, it makes sense. I can't exactly relate, but Lexius told me a bit about her earlier. She's more important to you than you'd think."

"I know. I'm sorry about Kodlak, too. He was a good man."

"I miss him a lot. I regret going after the Silver Hand after he died too. It just made me feel emptier. And then the way you appeared out of thin air; none of it was right."

Valleri scowled, "I was there?"

"I know you weren't and I must have dreamt it up. After I came too, I saw you. Except it wasn't you. It's hard to explain."

Valleri tilted her head and scowled, "Doesn't sound like you had a good time, especially since you turned into a werewolf again."

"I'd rather not think about it anymore, if that's okay. I can't help but feel sick just thinking about it."

Valleri hummed again and closed her eyes. She was starting to get tired. Her joints throbbed, but she couldn't bring herself to move. "Hey, Vi?"

"Yeah?"

"I only stayed at the tower so you wouldn't get taken off guard by the rebels. I really mean it when I said I couldn't let you die. You mean too much."

Vilkas couldn't think of anything to say in response. Instead, he just let Valleri fall asleep on his arm and soon he was out too. As his eyes shut together, he couldn't help but feel warm inside.


	52. Chapter 52

"Hey, Vilkas? We need to tell you something."

"Mmm hmmm?"

"We're getting married."

"Yep, I knew that."

"Wait, what?"  
Vilkas looked up from his book to see Farkas and Ysolda standing over him, confusion written all over their faces. Vilkas shrugged, "Well, everyone just sort of assumed you were getting married at some point. I'd be surprised if you didn't"

"Ysolda glanced between him and Farkas, scowling. "We meant we're actually getting married. Like with a wedding and all of that."

"Hold up for a moment," Vilkas paused and held up a hand, "When did this happen? It's hardly been three weeks since the city's been attacked."

"Farkas shrugged, "We decided yesterday. I don't get why you're confused. We didn't do anything wrong."

"No, of course not. I'm not debating that," Vilkas stammered, "But why now of all times?

"Ysolda crossed her arms in annoyance, "It doesn't matter, Vilkas. You said it yourself, this was going to happen eventually. Why put it off any longer?"

"Vilkas breathed out sharply. "Well, people are still trying to rebuild their homes. Some people are still hurt. Maybe now isn't a good time?"

"No, no, no," Ysolda lit up. "That's why it's perfect. It'll be a good reason to celebrate. Mostly just Farkas and I, but maybe for some of the city too."

"That's awfully noble of you two," Vilkas turned to his brother, "I'm the first one you guys have told, right?"

"Of course, you are. No point in letting you know last. Besides I was gonna ask you to be the witness."

"That makes sense. Though to be honest, if you didn't ask, I would have just assumed I was given the job."

"Ysolda smiled finally and took hold of Farkas' shoulder. "We wouldn't have it any other way."

"Are your brothers going to be here for the ceremony?"

"Ysolda fidgeted, "We wrote them a letter earlier today, but it won't get there in time since they're all the way in Solitude."

"Wait a second. When is the wedding?"

"Again, there was a pause. "We were hoping for next week."

Vilkas opened his mouth to protest but he couldn't think of what to say. Farkas and Ysolda only smiled nervously in an attempt to keep the atmosphere light. Even they knew it was quick. Vilkas rubbed his temples in frustration. "Shor's bones. It a real union by nocked bow, isn't it?"

"We know it's quick, but things will be fine. Right?" Ysolda asked through gritted teeth.

Vilkas couldn't answer them and walked off. He kept his eyes to the ground, trying not laugh. He shouldn't have, but Vilkas just found this entire situation funny. He wasn't sure if it was out shock or genuine hilarity. But Vilkas knew this was bound to be a good wedding.

…

Valleri hummed as she finished pulling back a section of Ysolda's hair and started braiding as neatly as she could. Ysolda was mostly done getting ready. She did as much as she could the night before. Even her dress was only ready that morning. They only had a week to plan the wedding and things seemed to have bee going by without a hitch.

She paused and stared at some of the lacey trim around Ysolda's shoulders. "I still can't believe how well made your dress is and you only finished it a few hours ago."

"You don't know how to sew or embroider?"

Shrugging, Valleri placed a pin to secure the braid. "Well, I can darn a sock or patch something up if that's what you're asking." She paused, smiling, "I can bind a book though! And my handwriting is impeccable. Even in elvish."

"Each person has their talents, I suppose."

"Yeah, but I'm still sort of jealous," Valleri mentioned with a click of her tongue. "intricate details like that have always been so fascinating to me."

"Given what you do for a living, I'm not surprised," Ysolda quipped. She held her head still while Valleri started another braid. Valleri heard her wince when she accidentally pulled too tightly and nearly let the entire braid fall free. The Imperial finished quickly, securing the braid in place with another pin. Ysolda was already ahead of her and handed a bronze clasp to her friend.

Valleri brought it close and inspected the design carved on the face of the clasp. Wound crosses intersected in a diamond shape in what Valleri would have considered to be a very Nordic design. She slid the clasp into the back of Ysolda's hair and stepped back to look at her friend, "He's gonna love you. More than he already does."

"I know." Ysolda laughed, scrunching her eyes together in a giant smile, "Gods, I feel so nervous. I know I'm doing the right thing, but why I am so nervous about this?"

"You're not nervous, Ysolda. You're excited." Valleri gave the Nord woman a quick pat on the shoulder. Ysolda gave her questioning look and Valleri could only laugh. Behind them, the door creaked open. Valleri glanced behind her, only to see Lexius' head poking past the door. "Yeah, Lex? Did you need something?"

The Redguard shrugged, "I think it's time to find a seat if you're done there." He paused, winking at Ysolda, "You're lookin' pretty slick."

Valleri and Ysolda exchanged an exasperated glance before Ysolda gestured to the newcomer. "Go, on Val. Hulda will get me when things are ready."

Valleri turned to meet Lexius, "If you say so then."

She was amazed to see how much the mead hall had changed in only a few hours. The table that usually dominated the room had been moved out of the way and a small, makeshift shrine was set up at the head of the room. Most everyone was already gathered around, chattering amongst each other with excitement.

Glancing around the room, Valleri found Vilkas standing next to his brother near the shrine. He stood facing away from her. Instinctively, Valleri could tell that he was on edge with how straight he held himself. Even he was getting nervous; his brother was getting married.

Vilkas had been stand-offish recently. Valleri didn't like it. She thought they were good, that they had patched things up the night Vilkas came back. But at the same time, it felt as though there was something, he was keeping something on the tip of his tongue.

Valleri didn't want to pry, but she thought he trusted her.

Finally catching his eyes, Valleri waved as she sat next to Lexius. Vilkas gave her an unsure smirk and waved back. The Imperial couldn't help but chuckle to herself as she gestured her head to Farkas.

Vilkas looked back over. Farkas was wide eyed and pale. If Valleri looked closely, she could see him shaking. Giving him a playful pat on the shoulder, Vilkas tried muttered something encouraging.

Lexius' eyes landed in a Farkas as well, "Is he okay?"

"Yeah, he's fine." Valleri halfheartedly waved her hand towards Lexius, "They've been courting for about half a year, but Farkas was head over heels in love with Ysolda for as long as I've known them."

"Which hasn't been long honestly," Lexius chided. Valleri gave him a sharp tap on the head and he couldn't help but start cackling to himself.

Turning around, Valleri saw that Hulda and Ysolda finally made their appearance. The two of them were laughing; whatever it was about, Valleri couldn't have been sure. But at least Ysolda looked happy. Valleri glanced back to Farkas momentarily to see that he was struck speechless. He didn't move as Ysolda stopped next to him until Vilkas gave him a sharp pat on the back.

Soon enough, Farkas was grinning from ear to ear and the two of them linked arms. Hulda said something to Vilkas before ushering everyone to their seats. Danica, who was there to act as the priest, began to address the couple and the room went quiet.

"Are we ready?"

"Yeah, it's time," Farkas said in a sure tone. His grip around Ysolda's arm tightened, bringing the couple closer together.

Danica turned to Vilkas at her side, "Would you vouch for this couple today or any day?"

"I would vouch for this couple today or any day."

The Nord stepped to the side as Danica looked back to Ysolda and Farkas, "I'll have to remind everyone that I'm a priestess of Kynareth. Weddings are not something I do often, but for you two, this is a glad duty."

Danica coughed once or twice before reading the vows, "Do you consider yourselves equals, though both of you are not the same?"

The couple answered in unison, each one sounding more excited than Valleri thought possible, "We do."

"Would you stand at each other's back, so that either of you might never fall?'

"We do."

"Would you celebrate each other's victories and mourn each other's losses as the seasons come and go?"

"We do."

"Would you raise a sword in each other's honor even after death separates you on this mortal plane?"

"We do."

"Then Mara's judgement is complete. These vows are proof enough of your love for each other. Mara blesses this union and, goddess willing, she will protect your bond for this day forward."

The room interrupted in a roar of cheers and applause. With a moment's notice, the couple embraced and kissed. The crowd roared in Valleri's ears but even she was standing up and yelling out congratulations. The expressions on Farkas and Ysolda's faces were that of pure happiness and Valleri couldn't help but match their enthusiasm.

The cheering died down and soon enough as the party began. But Valleri felt that none of the resulting excitement died down. The day was just getting better.

…

The party was still in full swing even as the sun went down several hours later. The Companions had gone through two good sized kegs of mead and at least two cases of some ale Hulda had imported some time ago. Much of the food was already gone, but Tilma was content enough to just bring out smaller dishes. Ysolda attempted to help the two older women, but they insisted that she stayed behind.

Ysolda shouldn't have to work on her wedding day they figured.

Instead she was free to spend the evening with her husband. Not that she would have done anything else. Ysolda sat at the head of the table and did almost nothing but celebrate.

Valleri was content to sit nearby and listen to Lexius' rambling. Obviously, her brother had had too much to drink.

"I don't get it, Val. It's a nice celebration and all. But those vows were oddly dark."

"What were you expecting? It's a wedding. In Skyrim."

Lexius swirled the drink in his flagon before taking a sip, "I dunno, but wedding vows are usually really flowery. Definitely not anything along the lines getting revenge for your dead spouse no matter the cost. That's almost too much. Are the Nords always this serious?"

"Well," Valleri paused to think, tilting her head. She honestly had no idea. Valleri could hardly remember how Imperial's acted when they were celebrating anything. And she was an Imperial. Her head hurt thinking about it. "You sort of get used to it, I guess. But, no they're not always serious. You've just been living in a cave for too long."

"Oh, low blow, Val," Lexius chided as he stuck his tongue out. In a moment though, he was laughing, "You're right though. It's been a while and I guess it's not my wedding anyways."

"You're damn right it's not your wedding. It's Farkas and Ysolda's! And they deserve to do it however they please."

"Divines, we're drunk," Lexius finally muttered.

"Maybe you are, but I'm not."

"Then why are you so loud?"

Valleri shrugged, "Maybe because some of my best friends are getting married and I'm happy for them, Lex. I'm done being sad."

The Redguard sighed and Valleri could see him smirking for an instant. "That's a good outlook."

Clattering out of her chair, Valleri left Lexius to his own devices. If she were a betting woman, Valleri would have gambled a fair amount of coin that Lexius going to get more drunk and end up accidentally trying to break into someone's house. Lexius knew it too and there was nothing he could do to stop the inevitable. The Imperial was getting close to the door leading down to the basement when she felt a tap on her arm.

"Valleri, are you free?"

Turning around, Valleri found herself face to face with Vilkas. She'd hardly seen him after the ceremony and hadn't even spoken to him all day. Valleri bit the inside of her cheek as she tried to guess what he wanted now. Vilkas didn't look like he was angry or upset. The man's face was mostly blank, but Valleri could tell he had something on his mind.

"Yeah, I'm not doing anything," she stammered out.

Vilkas glanced towards the door, "Want some air? I'll grab a bottle of what's on the table."

Valleri paused, this time biting her lip. She looked back up to Vilkas with a smirk, "Meet you by the Skyforge?"

"Yeah."

…

Valleri didn't wait long for Vilkas to meet her outside with a bottle of wine in his hand. With her shawl wrapped closely around her neck and shoulders, the cold wasn't as biting as she expected. Compared to the heat inside of the mead hall, the fresh air was a welcome change.

The Skyforge was glowing behind her and Vilkas had a spare lantern with him. But high above, Valleri could see the bright lights that danced across the sky as clear as day. Even now, the sight of those lights was still amazing to the Imperial.

Smiling widely, Valleri chided her friend in a joking tone, "What took you so long?"

"I got caught up with Farkas. I think he knows."

"Farkas always knows," Valleri shrugged. She swiped the bottle from Vilkas as he took a seat next to her. "He's a lot smarter than most folks give him credit for."

"Most people don't realize he's a good listener."

"Of course, they don't. They think the smart ones are the ones that talk," the Imperial muttered, handing the bottle back to Vilkas.

Vilkas frowned, "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing, I suppose."

They sat in silence for a few moments, enjoying each other's company. Valleri stole a glance at her friend's face. Vilkas was staring intently ahead towards the mountains to the south. By the look in his eyes, what ever was on his mind earlier was still eating him up.

"I can still hear the music from here."

Valleri perked up, "What?"

"The music. Can't you hear it, Val?"

The woman could only sigh, shaking her head. "Vilkas, I'm not like you, remember?"

"Just listen."

"Vilkas, that's what I'm saying. I don't hear as well as you do."

Valleri saw his eyes go wide when he realized what she meant. Vilkas rubbed the back of his neck anxiously, though he tried to play it off, "Sorry, I keep forgetting you can't hear everything." He tossed his head back and sighed, "After all this time, I keep forgetting normal people don't hear things."

"Tell me then," Valleri stammered out, voice sharp. She waited for his nonexistent response. With a fluid motion, Valleri sat up from the forge workspace. She made her way to the middle of the floor and gestured widely around her, "Tell me what I can't hear. Tell me everything about it."

Vilkas still didn't say anything as he continued to stare at her with wide eyes. Valleri's heart began to race the longer he stared. She gulped nervously and tried to laugh. Wind began to whip around her, but still the hazy glow of the forge persisted

"Vilkas, tell me."

The Nord stood up and walked to meet her. "I hear the music from the celebration inside. I can hear birds flying and calling above, finally coming up from the south. There's dogs outside of the city and guards' patrol is on schedule." Vilkas stepped close to her and closed his eyes shut. "I can hear the wind rushing past us and the embers in the forge rage like a bonfire."

He paused to take a deep breath, shaky all the while. Vilkas grabbed onto Valleri's hands as gently as he could and looked down.

"I can hear the way your heart is beating against your chest right now and I almost can't hear anything else."

"Vilkas?" Valleri paused as she waited for an affirmative hum from Vilkas. The Nord couldn't move to face her. The sad, sorrowful expression on his face tore her apart inside. "You're a fool and there's something you're not telling me."

"You're right. Do you remember the feast Kodlak held after we got the fragments of Wuuthrad?"

Valleri cringed, "Unfortunately."

"You asked me a question when we were in the basement before Kodlak found us. I never gave you answer. Ysolda asked me the same question after the siege."

"What are you trying to say?" Valleri asked. She could feel her stomach churn the longer Vilkas mulled over his words. The Imperial knew what he was going to say. Her chest tightened and she could barely breathe as she waited.

"Valleri, I think I'm in love with you."

"What?"

"I am so sorry if this ruins whatever friend ship we have. But I can't help but feel like I'm falling every time I hear your voice or someone mentions your name. You're always there when I'm at my worst and you're still here. And I have no idea why." Vilkas paused to breathe. Even in the glow of the forge behind him, his face was bright red and nervous and Valleri couldn't help but feel like she had heard something she shouldn't have.

"I am so sorry, Val."

Valleri felt her expression soften. Without thinking she brought his face close to hers and kissed him. Her hands found their way to the back of his neck and she pressed himself further into him. Soon enough, Vilkas wrapped his arms around her waist. Valleri could feel his heart pounding against her, setting her own off like galloping horse.  
When she finally ran out of breath, Valleri pulled back, keeping her hands on Vilkas' cheeks. Valleri couldn't pull her eyes away from his. Vilkas still looked back at her with complete surprise and pride swelled up in the Imperial's chest.

She smiled, "Vilkas, stop apologizing. You're not letting me answer."

"I think you just did."

Valleri shook her head with a grin, "Shut up."

Vilkas laughed nervously again before they kissed again. This time, Valleri let herself melt and a weight seemed to slide of her shoulders. This couldn't have felt more right.

…

Lexius didn't know what to expect when he stumbled outside. The wind had gotten blustery all of a sudden and the chill was threatening to make his toes fall off. But Valleri had been missing for a while and he didn't know where they kept the extra blankets.

Ysolda had been kind enough to point him to the back before she went back home with Farkas.

Honestly, Lexius just wanted to cocoon himself before he thought of doing something stupid and get slammed into the drunk tank for the night. He had the pleasure of that happening before and he didn't exactly want to repeat the experience.

He could have sworn he heard something up by that old forge. With a groan, Lexius looked up. At first, he could barely make out anything in the red glow of the forge.

"Oh."

Lexius tried not to think too hard and went back inside.


	53. Chapter 53

Cyrenial smirked as he saw Ondolemar sink into the tavern and scowl as he looked around. Making no move to welcome his peer over to the corner, Cyrenial reveled in the sight of Ondolemar searching the tavern like a rat dressed up in Thalmor robes. The patrons weren't happy with the Thalmor agent and he wasn't happy with them either.

Ondolemar narrowed his eyes when he caught sight of Cyrenial's table in the corner. The Altmer sauntered over, expertly avoiding the drunk patrons. Even the way he pulled out his chair to sit down was menacing. The condescending façade Ondelamar exhibited was just that; a façade. It didn't bother Cyrenial.

"Why here of all places?"

Cyrenial shrugged, "It's inconspicuous. Besides, Calcelmo's nephew knows what I did in Mzinchaleft. I'd rather not address any of his complaints right now."

"Elenwen was right about you," Cyrenial's compatriot muttered.

He couldn't help but furrow his eyebrows, "Oh?"

"It doesn't matter right now," Ondolemar shrugged. "Did you find what you were looking for in that ruins? Or was it just another joke to buy you more time?"

Now Cyrenial felt a nerve snap in the back of his head. He glared at the smug Altmer across from him, "What are you getting at Ondolemar?"

"Nothing. Let's make this quick. I've other places to be."

Cyrenial sat back in his seat and crossed his arms. "No, this isn't some ploy for time. But the documents I found will have to be translated."

"Are they in Ayleidoon or Aldmeri? If they are it should be a simple matter."

"Not at all," Cyrenial scoffed. "They're in Falmer. And as far as I know the only person who can decipher it will not be too happy to see me."

"I was under the impression this was an Ayleid artifact. Were the higher ups wrong?"

Cyrenial sighed, rubbing his eyes, "No, they… they weren't wrong. They just didn't have the full story. Fortunately, Valleri Alastarim did. On the other hand, she's dead now."

Ondolemar glanced at him before taking a sip of Cyrenial's drink. "You got attached to the woman, didn't you? As far as I know, this isn't the first time this has happened."

Cyrenial stared pointedly at his companion, finally scowling. He clenched his fist, nails biting into his palm. Ondolemar only smirked. "What are you getting at, boot licker?"

"Elenwen told me about what happened in Valenwood with the Bosmer you were working with. How you got attached and tried to hide them. How you incited a rebellion. Or course she also told me off what happened after as well. How you were dragged back to Alinor. She never did tell me exactly how you got those scars. But I can't imagine you went to Valenwood with them."

Cyrenial felt his scowl morph into a full-on snarl, "If you intend to threaten or blackmail me, it's an act in futility."

"It was just a rumor I heard. Nothing more."

"I still outrank you, Ondolemar. I believe that it would be in your best interest to remember that. Now, help me."'

Ondolemar rolled his eyes, "Fine, fine. What I am doing?"

"As of now, I need answers and the only way I'm getting those answers is from Aicantar," Cyrenial explained. "I don't care how you get it done, but I need you to translate this page." Cyrenial slid a folded piece of aged paper across the table, noting the exasperated expression on Ondolemar's face. "I'll be in here in town waiting for my translation."

Without a thought, Cyrenial slid out of his chair and walked out of the inn. He felt sick to his stomach or as though the skin on his back had slid up uncomfortably. The fresh air was a welcome change from the stuffiness of the inn. Elenwen knew why he was here. Ondolemar knew why he was here. If Valleri Alastarim knew why he was here, maybe she wouldn't have died.

Cyrenial's stomach churned as he tried to press the thought down. What happened happened. There was no changing that and Cyrenial could only move forward.

…

Lexius leaned his head back as he slouched in his chair. His head was pounding, the feeling intensified with every loud noise he heard. He rubbed his eyes in a shallow attempt to ward off the migraine. Maybe he should have stayed in the basement.

He heard a chair next to him clatter and a light thud on the table. Lexius lifted his hand to see a familiar Imperial sitting next to him, scooting a plate of food in his direction. Valleri took a quick glance at Lexius before frowning. "You hit it too hard last night, Lex."

"Please, for the love of everything holy, do not say I told you so."

Valleri laughed, "This entire conversation is scripted, isn't it?"

"You know it is," Lexius snapped his fingers with a lazy grin. He paused for a moment, grin fading. "I know this might be a bad time, Val, but there's a few things we need to talk about."

The Redguard watched the faint smile that was on her face just drop. Valleri groaned, "I know, I know."

Lexius sat up straight in his seat and nibbled a bit on the food in front of him. "It's been a few weeks since we got back from, well…" he trailed off.

"Mzinchaleft?"

"Yeah, that place. Vilkas told me what happened. At least the gist of it."

Valleri it her lip, "What're you getting at, Lex?"

"I tried to convince Alastaros to turn back and head back home since there didn't seem any point on continuing but the old elf seemed so distraught. We thought you were dead and he needed something to hold onto. Sooner or later I just let him continue," Lexius explained.

"Well, I'm still very alive," Valleri gestured wildly. "But before Alastaros died, he asked that I bring the necklace back. I think he actually intended to open up Sedor."

"Of course, he does. We both know what Alastaros was like."

"Right," Valleri muttered, "Once Alastaros started something he must always finish. And now it's up to us."

"You sound disappointed."

"Well, I kind of am. I want to go home. And I can only assume you do too, Lex."

The Redguard sighed and glanced downwards, "I mean I do, but we have some sort of obligation to find what we came here for, right? It's the least we can do for the old elf."

Valleri leaned back in her seat and curled her legs onto the chair. "To be honest, I still want to know what's in there too. I remember only a little bit about what that first journal said. But that initial curiosity is still there."

Lexius tilted his head to look at the expression on his sister's face. Valleri was chewing on her bottom lip, eyes focused on the space around her. Lexus placed his hand on Valleri's shoulder. "Alastaros always wanted you to follow that curiosity. If not for him, then yourself."

"When you put it that way, Lexius, you make a compelling argument. Unfortunately, the necklace wasn't in Mzinchaleft and I certainly don't know where it is. Got any ideas, Lex? Because I'm out."

"Well, Vilkas did bring some documents back. We could look through those. When we find where out where the necklace is, it'll be like old times."

Valleri snapped her head back to Lexius, "What in the world are you talking? There's absolutely no way I'm taking you with me to where ever dark cave those insane elves hid it away in. Nope, not at all."

"And why not?"

The Imperial woman huffed. "When I last talked to Alastaros, I tried to convince him to go back to Cyrodiil. To Skeeva. Think of what Skeeva would be thinking about all of this? Think about Rostam. I spent months thinking that you two were dead. I was going out of my mind thinking that I was too late. Imagine what Skeeva and Rostam would have thought should they have known. Gods, Lexius, just go home. Go home and see your fiancé. This isn't worth dying over."

"So, you'd go after the necklace and perhaps die yourself?"  
Lexius watched Valleri huff in response, "Lexius, you have a life. Mine is still up in the air."

"Are you sure about that, Val?"

The Imperial narrowed her eyes, "What are you getting at?"

The Redguard tilted his head with a grin, "I saw you last up by that forge last night. With Vilkas right?"

Valleri went wide eyed when Lexius mentioned the name, "Lexius! That's really none if your business. We just kissed."

"Valleri, you're not fooling anyone. How long have you two been together?"

Valleri furrowed her eyebrows and brought her legs closer to her. "Just since last night. And, again, nothing happened. We just talked about a few things we've been too busy to address."

"Oh, I see. Wow, you two certainly did take your time figuring things out."

Smacking him playfully on the head, Valleri began to smile again. "Right and you seem to have more of opinion than usual."

"I dunno, I didn't expect you to find someone you were interested in romantically during this entre debacle," Lexius explained, gesturing with his arm. "You seemed rather happy about it last night. But let's say you do decide to go back to Anvil. What happens to Vilkas then?"

"I'm not sure yet. I'd like to think that I love Vilkas, but I'm not sure I could stay in Skyrim for much longer."

Lexius paused, taking a deep breath in, "You'd leave him just like that?"

"Not at all. That's not how I feel. Just, Lexius, there's a lot to think about," Valleri mumbled.

Lexius tapped his fingers on the table top, "If you do go. though, don't go alone."

"I know."

Valleri gave his arm a squeeze before she got up to leave. Lexius looked over his shoulder as he watched her leave. Valleri was right. There was a lot going on. But now, Lexius could only focus on his migraine.

…

Vilkas didn't make any point in letting anyone know what happened the previous night. That was his business and his business alone. No one else needed to know. Maybe at some point he would tell Farkas what happened. But not now.

There were other things the Circle had been neglecting for some time.

He met Aela in the Underforge. Vilkas hadn't seen a lot of the older woman since Kodlak's funeral. Aela had started spending more time out in the wilderness. Vilkas thought he understood. With the Harbinger gone, Aela probably felt more at ease to come and go as she pleased. Vilkas though that Aela may even just cut ties with them eventually and start living on plains outside of the city. He wouldn't blame her.

She took a seat at the back of the room and glanced in his direction. "You're oddly chipper today, aren't you? What happened?"

Vilkas shrugged, "Nothing happened."

"That explains why you smell like Valleri."

The Nord man jolted back in shock, "What?" He paused and sniffed his arm. Aela was right. "Damn."

"Do you think Farkas will really show up today?"

"Who's to say. I wouldn't blame him if he stayed home the rest of the week." There was a lull in the conversation before he spoke up again. "How long should we give him?"

"No more than an hour. We can put this off for a few days, but the entire circle ought to be here. Especially since this has to do with Kodlak. He raised you two. Farkas has every right to be here."

Vilkas furrowed his eyebrows in frustration, "I wasn't debating that, Aela."

"I know."

Time went by slowly and Vilkas found himself fixating on water dripping somewhere down the cave. Soon enough Aela was humming a tune to herself, off tempo and most definitely off key. The waiting filled Vilkas with a strange sense of trepidation. The feeling only lessened when Vilkas saw his brother walk into the cave with the dopiest grin on his face.

"Sorry, I forgot we were supposed to meet," the man mumbled, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. "What're we supposed to be talking about anyhow?"

Aela clicked her tongue with mock exasperation, smiling all the while. "Come on now, Farkas. You're supposed know what's going on. You're a member of the Circle."

"Gods, Aela," Farkas muttered, "I've been busy."

"She's just giving you a hard time." Vilkas moved closer the ceremonial basin in the middle of the cave. He drew a deep breath in, "We gotta figure out what we're doing about this Harbinger situation."

"Or lack of a Harbinger," Aela mumbled off handedly.

Vilkas rolled his eyes and glanced back to his brother, "The previous Harbinger always chooses the next. That's the old tradition. Only Kodlak died before he had a say."

Aela crossed her arms, "Skjor was supposed to be the next one. He died before Kodlak did and I guess the old man didn't think to name anyone else."

"What now though?"

"We could just come to a unilateral decision and choose someone we think might fit the job. Unless we have any volunteers?" Vilkas offered. He waited for any of his compatriots to speak up before sighing. "Harbinger is usually a member of the Circle. We'd get first choice."

Farkas shook his head, "Becoming Harbinger just like that doesn't sit well with me."

"Aela?"

The woman shook her head, "Yeah, no. I'm gonna decline. I never wanted to be Harbinger unless it was absolutely last resort." Aela tilted her head, "Vilkas?"

"I don't think I've earned the spot either. It's not right that I should get to be Harbinger after how I reacted to Kodlak's death."

"That's still eating you up, huh?" Aela quipped. Vilkas nodded his head, not saying a word.

"Why not just let the position stay open for the time being?" Farkas offered.

"Some people might not like the idea. The Harbinger has been a crucial role for the Companions."

Farkas gestured wildly, "Would you want someone who isn't up to the job become Harbinger just because no one else wanted to do it?"

Vilkas shrugged, "He's got a point, Aela."

"Well, I guess that's settled then," the woman sighed as though a weight had been lifted from her shoulders. "We'll tell the others later. But this means the three of will have to pick up a lot of the slack from now on."

"That won't be too much of problem until summer." Vilkas paused, eyes landing on the floor in front of him. His chest filled with apprehension as he forced his gaze up, "There was one more thing I wanted tell you two." The Nord paused as he watched his brother and friend look over to him. "Kodlak died as a werewolf. He didn't want that. Before he died, Kodlak found a cure. I was out gathering the materials when he died."

Aela narrowed her eyes, "The old man was that close then?"

"Aye, he was."

Farkas' expression turned glum, "Do you know if it works after death?"

"I dunno, Farkas. I haven't had much time to look at the book he had, but it's worth a try, right? We owe him that at least. If this cure works too, it means that anyone who wants it can use it."

"I don't think we can stop you from trying," Aela said with a grin.

Vilkas shook his head, "Not at all. But you two deserved to know, since this concerns anyone who wants to get rid of the beast blood. That's a decision I have to leave up to yourselves."

Farkas gave him a rough pat on the shoulder with a grin. He didn't say another word as he left the Underfoge. It was just him and Aela again and Vilkas wasn't sure what the woman was thinking. Aela didn't look outright upset but it was always hard to tell with her; more so after Skjor passed.

"Aela?"

"I'm just thinking, Vilkas," she muttered, biting her lip. Soon enough, Aela looked back up to him. "I appreciate you not making the beast blood not such a big deal. It is for some people, but the way Kodlak handled it… forcing some people to just give up their way of life isn't right. You're doing good."

Aela walked out after, leaving Vilkas by himself again. He grabbed onto the rim of the altar in front of him. Vilkas didn't think he'd have been so exhausted after that meeting. Breathing in and out, Vilkas closed his eyes. The easy part was over.

…

He saw Valleri from across the room. She was already drifting away, curled up on the wooden bench. The candle on the table next to her was still burning, illuminating the area around her. Flax hair turned gold in the candlelight.

Vilkas didn't move from the top of the stairs, eyes transfixed. Breathless, the pounding against his ribs was worse than usual. Determined, Vilkas broke the silent vigil from across the room and walked to the bench. He kneeled and shook Valleri gently by the shoulder.

The Imperial groaned and scrunched her eyes tighter. "I'm up. I'm up."

Vilkas smirked, "You sure about that?"

Valleri opened her eyes to glared at him. Even then she couldn't hold her menacing gaze for long and soon the Imperial was grinning. "Unfortunately. What happened?"

"Nothing happened. You just looked really uncomfortable. How's your back?"

"Sore," Valleri answered, shrugging, "But that's how it's been for the last few weeks. My side hurts a bit more than usual though. Honestly, I didn't plan on sleeping here."

"I hope not." Vilkas laughed, "Is Lexius still sleeping in Vignar's old room?"

"Yeah, I think so."

"Let him have your bed. Its drafty in there."

"Am I sleeping with you tonight?" Valleri asked with a smirk.

Vilkas shrugged, "Only if you want."

"It sounds like this is just gonna be the norm for now on."

"It's not any different from before."

Valleri's smile turned more genuine, "I know."

Vilkas got up from the floor and offered hand out to Valleri. She got up from her seat as well, nearly tripping as she hoisted herself up. Vilkas smirked as he watched, eliciting an eye roll from the Imperial.

"There was one thing I wanted to ask you though."

Valleri furrowed her eyebrows as her exasperated grin disappeared. "It's too serious I hope."

"No, not really." Vilkas paused, "Well maybe. I have to go up north for a bit. There's some business up there I've been putting off and I'd rather not go alone."

"You're asking me to come with?"

Vilkas glanced to the side of the room, "Yeah. I am."

Valleri didn't say anything for a moment and the hairs on the back of Vilkas' neck stand up. The longer she waited mire more anxiety creeped from the back of Vilkas' mind. Not a moment later Valleri nodded her head, "I'll go with you. Danica wanted me to take it easy for a week or two more, but this seems important."

Vilkas squeezed Valleri's hand, "Thanks, it means a lot."

Valleri didn't say anything more and didn't let go of his hand as the two of them went downstairs.


	54. Chapter 54

Vilkas didn't expect to see Lexius awake by the time the Nord made his way upstairs. But there he was, with papers and ink bottles spread across the table like some sort of government worker. Lexius gave him a small nod when he spotted Vilkas. Not saying a word, the Redguard went back to whatever he was doing and Vilkas sat across from him.

Grabbing one of the sheets of paper, Vilkas squinted. Lexius' handwriting was worse than he'd remembered. The letters looked more like small scribbles. Ink blots speckled the page, sometimes covering entire words. He looked up, "I take it you're not left-handed?"

"Not at all!" the Redguard laughed, "I'm not as crazy as Valleri either."

"What'd she do?"

"The crazy lady taught herself to be ambidextrous. Thought it'd be easier to go through ruins and what not if she could use both hands. I dunno; Valleri gets these ideas sometimes that seem to make no sense what so ever and goes with it."

"Well, that's sort of Valleri's thing. She's a capable person though."

"Never said she wasn't" Lexius grimaced, still scribbling on the paper in front of him.

"What is all of this anyways?" Vilkas asked, gesturing to the mess of papers.

"Valleri doesn't know any Falmeri, but she knows Ayleidoon and bit of Aldmeri. I thought I'd try to write it all out in a way she'd understand. Unfortunately," Lexius paused, taking in a deep breath, "it's a bit harder than I thought it's be. I've been at this for hours."

Vilkas scowled, "Wait a moment. How long have you been up?"

"A few hours. It's hard to sleep since it's always so cold." Lexius shrugged when he looked back at Vilkas, "The caves I've been living in were a lot colder. But I haven't been really warm for a while and I'm starting to miss it."

"You ramble a lot for a thief."

"Valleri told you about that, huh? Damn." Vilkas narrowed his eyes, eliciting a laugh from Lexius, "Well, I never really tried to hide that I was a thief. I was arrested for theft several times," the Redguard admitted.

"Fun."

"You know, it sort of was."

Vilkas stared pointedly at Lexius, slapping the paper on the table, "How in the world did you up with Alastaros? You sound like a delinquent talking like that."

"Alastaros paid a hefty fine for me when I was younger. He even offered me room and board in exchange for some field work. Besides, everyone who knew Alastaros had a delinquent streak. Valleri was burning down a chapel when I first met her. Ask her about it sometime, it's a great story."

"All that aside, I still don't get what this is for." the Nord stated further, gesturing to the pile of papers again.

Lexius put the quill into a bottle of ink next to him before leaning back in his chair. The man yawned. "I'm not the best at Ayleidoon and Valleri doesn't know a lick of Falmeri. If there's a way I can make the gap any shorter, the easier time you guys will have later finding that necklace."

"You convinced Valleri not to give up on this treasure hunting business?"

Lexius shook his head, "Valleri's in a slump, but her curiosity and drive is still there. She'd go after eventually on her own."

Vilkas hummed before getting up from the chair. "You want something to eat?"

"Not really," Lexius muttered, shaking his head. "Hey, Vilkas?"

"Yeah?"

"How's your penmanship?"

Vilkas glanced over his shoulder after grabbing a jug of water and some cured meats. Lexius was still leaning back in his seat, arms folded across his chest. "It's, uh," the Nord paused. "It's not bad. It's readable."

Lexius chuckled to himself. "So better than mine on a good day! Perfect!"

Vilkas sat back down and set the jug and plate down with thud. The smirk on Lexius' face made Villas uneasy, but the Nord didn't say anything

"I've got a favor to ask," Lexius continued.

"I'm a Companion. I don't do favors."

The Redguard shrugged, "Well, fine then. I've got a job for you. You don't even have to leave the city. How do you like that, huh?

"Fine," Vilkas relented, cracking a grin. "What am I doing?"

"You're gonna rewrite my notes, then hopefully we'll get to finish them."

Vilkas arched an eyebrow, "We're starting over from scratch since nobody can make out what you've got all ready?"

"Yeah," Lexius mumbled, "I tried." He slid the writing supplies to Vilkas' side of the table before continuing. "I don't think you'll be able to read what I have already, so I'll just read it out. If there's any sort of special letters or whatnot, I'll just show you."

"How often is that gonna happen?"

"Often."

Vilkas pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. Glancing at the stack of blank paper, he was sure he could feel a migraine coming on. Breathing out sharply, Vilkas could only shake his head, "I hope you're paying me well."

"I'm low on coin at the moment but I'll figure something out," Lexius muttered under his breath. Without another moment wasted, Lexius took one of the finished papers and shot Vilkas a quick glance, "You ready?"

"Yeah. May as well get this over with," Vilkas replied in a low tone. Grudgingly, he picked up the quill and waited for Lexius to begin reading.

…

Valleri almost didn't realize the bed space next to her had gone cold. Instead of the sleeping lump she remembered being there before, there was no one. Her heart sank when she realized that Vilkas must have woken up before her. The Nord was at least kind enough to add another blanket to the bed before he left.

Even then, Valleri still felt a tinge of abandonment.

Valleri held her arm over the empty space in the bed and took a deep breath in. She must have slept in late if the bed was already as cold as it was. Valleri couldn't tell what time it was in the basement. If she were to guess, the sun was probably already up high in the sky.

The Imperial took in a deep breath before lifting herself to a sitting position. Immediately, a wave selfish regret washed over her as goosebumps rose on her arms when bare skin met cold air. Valleri only groaned. By this point the only thing she could do was get up and get ready for the day. She was already awake.

Dressing was a slow process as Valleri searched for her clothes on the floor. Once finished, Valleri groggily plodded her way upstairs. She was still yawning when she stopped on the stairs. Valleri could hear Lexius' clear voice reading, slow and steady, above her.

Tentatively, the Imperial made her way to the top of the stairs and paused. Lexius had his feet propped up on the table. His legs were surrounded by scattered papers. Surprisingly, Vilkas was hunched over the table, facing away from her.

"And then, I think it says that in Falmeri, possession is given by adding an 'e' after a consonant and an 'a' after," Lexius paused, bringing the paper closer to his head. "That's not right."

"Wait back up. What in the world are you talking about?"

"Nope, it adds an 'e' to a vowel and an 'a' after a consonant."

"This makes no sense."

"Valleri will get it. Basically, it's just like adding an apostrophe to the word. It's directly changing the spelling though."

"Why not just make a list of the words?"

"Too long, too tedious. Besides, a lot of the vocabulary between the languages are really similar. Valleri will be able to muddle through it."

"She tried before and couldn't make heads or tails of it."

"The alphabets are different. That's why.'

"You're not expecting me to write that out too, are you?"

"Absolutely. I'll pay extra."

Valleri silently made her way to the table, stopping by the support pillar a few feet away. "What are you paying Vilkas for?" Surprised, both men looked up and Valleri couldn't help but smirk. Valleri moved to stand over Vilkas and sifted through the papers he was writing on, "What is Oblivion is that?"

Lexius rolled his eyes. "Valleri, no one can have your impeccable handwriting. We weren't all raised in a chapel," the Redguard smirked finally and Valleri felt a little easier.

Vilkas stared up at the Imperial, handing her a different paper, "If it makes you feel better, look at this."

She couldn't help but blanch at it with a gasp. Whatever Lexius attempted to write was unreadable. His handwriting had gotten worse, especially now that he only had one hand to use. "Well, I'm not exactly surprised. So, you're going to pay Vilkas to do all this writing for you, Lex?"

"Yep!"

Valleri narrowed her eyes, "You do realize you're broke right?"

"Oh, absolutely!"

The Imperial exchanged an unsure look with Vilkas. The Nord only shrugged and put the quill he was using back into the ink bottle, "Looks like you're getting the bill, Val." Valleri only rolled her eyes, but she could see the both of them smiling. She gave the Nord a quick squeeze on the shoulder before taking the seat next to him.

"What is all of this though?" Valleri asked, pointing to the scattered papers.

"Translation notes. You're gonna need them to go after the pendant to get into Sedor," Lexius explained. Valleri eyed him anxiously, not saying a word. The Redguard took his feet off the table, replacing them with his elbows. Lexius finally rested his chin on his hands. "Don't worry, Valleri. I'm heading home as soon as possible, but this needs to get done."

Tilting her head towards him, Valleri spoke in low tones, "Good. I would have dragged you back"

"I know."

Valleri turned back to Vilkas. "When did you want to leave for Winterhold?"

Vilkas opened his mouth to speak when Lexius interrupted him. He slammed his hand on the table with a hard thud, surprising even himself. "Wait, where are you guys going?"

"Up north for a while. There's some Companion's business we've been putting off for a while," Vilkas explained, turning to look over at Valleri. "I'm honestly surprised that head held up as well as it did."

Both Valleri and Lexius stared at him with confusion. Vilkas reeled back, eyes as wide as dinner plates, "Never mind. It doesn't matter right now."

"Vilkas, you didn't answer the question," Valleri leaned back in her chair, propping a foot in Vilkas' lap. "When are we leaving?"

"Tomorrow morning at the earliest."

Valleri exchanged an uneasy glance with Lexius. "I won't be able to leave Whiterun for a day or two at least. Going back to Cyrodiil isn't as easy as it used to be."

Valleri felt her expression melt into disappointment as she stared at the ground. She could feel the eyes of her friends on her and Valleri suddenly felt very uncomfortable in her own skin. Valleri did tell Lexius to go home, but like this? Valleri didn't think her time with Lexius would come to such a sudden end.

"Val? You good?"

The Imperial gave Vilkas a reassuring smile, taking his hand. "Yeah, I'm fine." She paused, turning back to her brother, "I know I'm the one who told you to go back, Lex. But I'm still bit jealous." Nobody said anything for a long moment before Valleri continued, smirk growing on her face. "Don't take me as complainer, Lex. I'm getting the necklace because I want to. I know what I'm doing."

Lexius chuckled to himself, "I know, I know. If I was worried, it'd be a cold day in Hammerfell." The Redgaurd stared pointedly at Vilkas across from him. "And it's not as though I'm sending you to your death alone."

Vilkas scowled with narrowed eyes while Valleri threw her head back in laughter. Her eyes darted back and forth between Vilkas and Lexius, finally landing on the table between them. "You two had better get onto whatever it is you're doing. Especially since I won't see you again for some time after tomorrow."

Valleri stared down at the table for a moment longer before getting up. Vilkas frowned as he and Lexius looked back at her. "Where're you going?" the Nord asked off handedly.

Mustering a smile, Valleri felt a pang of guilt in her gut as she met Vilkas' eyes. She grabbed his hand and gave it a quick kiss, "Just downstairs for a bit. I'll be back later." She felt their eyes following her as she left. Tension grew inside of Valleri with each step the woman took. The feeling in her chest was uneasiness, small and barely tangible but still there.

…

The day passed slower than Vilkas anticipated. There was more to Lexius' notes than he thought and learning how to make the elvish characters look right had taken at least three hours to prefect. He'd seen Valleri write out the stoic, sharp Ayleid characters before. Her practiced hand made it look easy but Falmeri characters were another matter. While Ayleid characters were sharp and minimalistic, the Falmeri letters were smooth and round; flourished in a way that caught the eye. Falmeri was much prettier in his opinion. He was embarrassed to admit it, but Vilkas would have loved to see Valleri write anything in Falmeri.

That was a thought Vilkas preferred not to dwell on for long.

Throughout the day, Companions filtered in and out of the mead hall. They would give him strange looks. He clearly remembered Torvar and Ria sniggering when they saw him writing down Lexius' notes. Every once in a while, other Companions would come to chat and Lexius was always willing to talk. This afforded a nice break for Vilkas to rest his hand. He never realized how painful writing was.

The sun was already far below the horizon by the time Lexius put his hand down and gave Vilkas a metaphorical pat on the back. The Redguard got up and stretched his arms above his head. "Good job. Most of what I was talking about probably didn't make any sense. I was never the one good at any of this stuff."

"What were you good at?"

"Breaking and entering." Lexius paused, eyes wide. He turned back to Vilkas with a shaky grin, "Into ruins of course. Silly me, I never actually broke into homes."

The Nord stared at him with a good amount of exasperation, "That's exactly what a thief would say the morning after a break in."

"Yeah, I'm gonna go before I say anything else."

Vilkas waited a moment and watched Lexius leave before getting up himself. The Nord clattered out of the chair with a groan. Vilkas had been sitting for too long. He gathered up the notes in a neat little pile and took them downstairs.

He found Valleri downstairs in the bunkroom, quietly sitting and staring at something in her hand by candle light. The somber expression on the Imperial's face made Vilkas feel like sinking. Vilkas stepped into the bunkroom as silently as he could. When he knocked on the screen separating Valleri's bunk from the rest of the room, she finally looked up.

"Have you been in here all day?"

Valleri rolled her eyes with an exasperated smirk, "I've been out and about. More than you have probably."

"I have a new respect for scribes. I don't think I've ever had wrist pain like this."

Valleri laughed, "You'll get used to it."

"I hope not. I did not enjoy that one bit." Vilkas paused, looking Valleri up and down, eyes finally landing to the shiny piece of metal in her hand, "What's that?"

The smile on Valleri's face faded to something sorrowful. She held up the piece of metal, revealing a vaguely familiar ring. Vilkas' eyes were drawn to a carved ruby pattern in the face of the ring. "Alastaros' old signet ring. I found it in that coven a while back, remember?"

"A little, yeah." Vilkas paused again, taking a deep breath in. "You want to talk about it?"

"Not really."

The Nord shrugged, "All right. I'm here if you need it." Vilkas leaned over and placed the notes on the foot of the bed by Valleri's feet. "The books I brought back are in my room, if you're interested." Valleri nodded and Vilkas turned to leave.

Before he could take another step, Vilkas felt her hand around his wrist. Vilkas paused. He turned around to see that Valleri had all but gotten up to meet him. He sighed when he saw her downcast expression. Taking a step forward, he laced his arms around her and brought Valleri close.

She buried her head in his shoulder and breathed in deeply, "I'm sorry. It feels like I just got my brother back. And I know better, but I don't want Lex to leave. Then it makes it real. I can't help thinking of how Alastaros is gone and I'm going to be alone again." Valleri paused and looked up, meeting Vilkas' fake eye roll, "Not alone per se, but you get it."

"It takes time," Vilkas stated, "I can't judge you for grieving for your father."

"I just hate it. Most days I think I'm good but now I feel like I'm about to lose it." She paused, sucking a breath with a hiss, "I Don't understand it. I feel like if I turn my head quick enough, I'll see him bent over some book or walking about to inspect his plants. And every single time, I'm disappointed."

The Nord stepped back from the embrace and grabbed Valleri firmly by the shoulders. "Valleri as long as you feel that pain when you think about them, they're still there. Yeah, sure it'll just become a fond memory, but if that pain ever fades into nothingness, you'll have nothing left of them."

"It still hurts and I'm still gonna complain," Valleri said with a smile. Her expression was bright again, making Vilkas feel a bit better himself.

"I wouldn't have expected otherwise." the Nord gave a quick peck on the forehead, eliciting a chuckle from Valleri. He grabbed a hold of her hand and gestured towards the door, "Let's get something to eat. I haven't had anything all day and I'm pretty sure you haven't either."

Vilkas began to turn around again but stopped when he noticed that Valleri wasn't moving. He looked back over his shoulder to see the Imperial smiling so earnestly. Her eyes were shining, focused on the ground.

"You okay?"

"Yeah. I just… I just love you so much."

Without another moment wasted, Valleri cupped her hands on his cheeks and brought him down for a kiss. Vilkas didn't react for a solid second, still surprised by Valleri's words moments before. In a moment he closed his eyes and melted.

Valleri pulled back and grabbed his hand before rushing out of the bunk room. Vilkas couldn't see her face, but he was sure she smiling ear to ear. Barely able to contain his laughter, Vilkas could only stare at the ground. He could only think of how amazing Valleri was.


	55. Chapter 55

Lexius leaned against the wall as he watched Valleri finish packing her small bag. Feelings of uncertainty swirled around in his mind like a storm. Lexius now understood what Valleri might have been feeling the previous day. This sucked and Lexius hated it.

The Redguard clicked his tongue as Valleri placed a hideous amount of bandages at the top of the pack. "You started bringing medical supplies now?"

"I had to, Lex," Valleri laughed, smile growing on her face. "Everybody just kept getting hurt and the last cloak I had just got used up as bandages. This just makes more sense. Besides, I don't want little training I have go to waste."

"Gods, sounds like a grand time."

The Imperial turned her head to look at him, confused smile still there. "Yeah it beats being trapped in a cave. You know that big scar I have on my arm?"

Lexius hummed, "What about it?"

"I was in a different Dwemer ruin in Markarth."

"Nchuand Zel," Lexius interrupted.  
"Yep. Anyways I got sliced by a Falmer in there and we didn't have anything to fix it up my arm for a day or two. And then I accidentally ripped out a stitch."

"Valleri," Lexius chided. "No, you have to stop doing that. If Skeeva knew you keep ripping out stiches, he'd throw a fit."

"And what are you gonna do? Tell on me?"

"I can in a few weeks. But then again," Lexius paused, "There's not a lot he could do anyways."

"He could write a strongly worded letter, but that's about it. At least until I get back."

Lexius stared at his sister through narrowed eyes. Valleri glanced down at her pack with a wistful smile, obviously preoccupied with something. Lexius gave her a tap on her arm and Valleri turned to face him again. "You really plan on coming back, don't you?"

"Lex, I planned on taking you and Alastaros back from the start. I'm not gonna break that promise."

"And after that?"

Valleri shrugged, "Who knows? Imperial City. Solitude perhaps." She clasped the pack shut and slung it over her shoulder with a flourish. Lexius stepped back when the Imperial's pack nearly hit him. His unhappy gaze didn't move from her, eliciting an eye roll from Valleri. In moments, the both of them were cackling.

Vilkas was waiting for them upstairs, garbed in a heavy cloak and cuirass, standing next to the table in the middle of the room. He smirked when he saw the two of the emerge from the stairs. "You two took forever."

Valleri chuckled to herself, "I couldn't find my socks. And I'm pretty sure Lexius hid my extra shirt."

The Redguard stepped back in mock horror, "I did nothing of the sort. How dare you think me a thief?" Valleri stared at him through blank eyes. Lexius sighed, "Fine, fine. Maybe I did steal your shirt. But I'm not gonna say what accidentally happened to it."

"Dammit, Lex," the Imperial hissed.

Vilkas stepped between the two of them, placing a hand on Valleri's shoulder. "It's not the worst thing in the world. I'll just lend you one of mine. No big deal."

"Fine. But you do realize that was my last extra."

Lexius gritted his teeth as he reeled back again. Valleri's face was contorted into disappointed indifference. She'd given him that same look before whenever the Imperial was mad at him. Valleri never said anything, but he knew. Lexius always knew.

It looked like Vilkas knew too. He stared at the ground for a moment, hand still on her shoulder. Suddenly, he looked up to meet the to of them, face still blank. "We should leave in a moment, Val. We're wasting daylight."

"Oh, yeah. Sure thing," Valleri muttered, eyes wide with surprise. She mustered a small smile as she followed Vilkas out the door.

Lexius sighed as he stared out the window, watching Valleri's back as she descended the stairs to the plaza. He clenched his fist. Valleri was leaving and he wasn't going to see her for a few months at the least.

Without a moment's hesitation, the Redguard burst out of the mead hall, calling out for her. Valleri stopped in her tracks and turned around. She muttered a word to Vilkas, who only nodded and continued, before running back up to meet him.

"I'm so sorry, Lex," Valleri said, taking a hold of the Redguard's hand.

"You've nothing to be sorry for. You forgot to say good bye is all."

The Imperial shook her head, "I'm not going to say goodbye. Not again."

"Hey, Val?"

"Yeah?"

"I know you've been through all sorts of backwaters with Vilkas, but I know you. Just," Lexius sucked in a breath, "Just, be careful please. No more ripping stitches or getting knocked out or anything."

"I will if you get back to Anivl in one piece. Tell Skeeva what happened."

"Don't worry, I will. I've got most of my paper work in order and Farkas said he'd take me to the border. From there its smooth sailing."

Valleri gave his hand a quick squeeze before wrapping an arm around his shoulder. Without another thought, Lexius brought Valleri into a tight embrace. "You're gonna be fine, Val."

"I know. I'm just gonna miss you so much."

The Redguard pulled back and exchanged a glance with his sister, "Go on now. Vilkas is probably getting antsy waiting so long for you, you fool."

Valleri smirked and gave his hand a final squeeze before turning around. this time her back was straight and she nearly flew down to the plaza where her friend was waiting. This time. Lexius didn't feel guilty watching her leave. Things were going to be just fine.

…

Vilkas watched Valleri give her brother one last hug with curiosity. If he didn't see it before, Vilkas was sure that they were closer than most siblings. Perhaps closer now than him and Farkas. Even still, they had to go. Vilkas couldn't put this off any longer.

Valleri lingered there for another moment before rushing to meet him. The oddly dark atmosphere that surrounded her minutes before was gone. Now, all he could see was the sun rising up behind her. He couldn't take his eyes off of her.

The Imperial gave him a concerned glance as she nearly walked past him. "Vilkas, you okay?"

The Nord hummed as he was brought back to the present, "Yeah. I'm fine." The Imperial only shrugged and continued down to lower part of the city. Vilkas didn't take long to catch up. By the time Valleri made it to the city gate, Vilkas was already next to her.

Nobody said anything until they were already on the road outside of Whiterun. Valleri spoke in quiet tones, barely audible even to Vilkas. "Thanks for letting me say goodbye to Lex."

"It was important. Are you feeling better all of this?"

Valleri tilted her head with an unsure smile. "Only a bit. Lex was always my go to partner up until a few months ago, you know? A little part of me hoped he still would be. Now I'm stuck with an enigmatic werewolf."

"Rude."

Vilkas caught her eyes for a moment and he nearly grinned. Valleri's faltering smile morphed into a smirk. "It was a jest, Vilkas."

"I know. I'm just giving you a hard time," the Nord bellowed. Valleri only rolled her eyes.

The two of them walked in silence for a little while longer. The sky was devoid of clouds, allowing the sun to shine without any interference. The heat melted the snow without any problems, but Vilkas knew that clear weather was always colder this time of year.

Valleri didn't seem to care though. Winters in Skyrim was notoriously dark and Valleri craved the sun. She'd mentioned how even in the middle of the season, the Gold Coast was always sunny and the sun didn't go below the horizon in the afternoon. Vilkas watched her from the corner of his eye. The Imperial was smiling widely as she walked, basking in the direct sunlight.

Suddenly, Valleri turned to look at him from over her shoulder. She furrowed her eyebrows, "You're slow today, aren't you?"

Vilkas frowned, "What in the world are you talking about?"

"You keep lagging behind." Valleri gestured to the stretch of road between them, "See? There's almost five feet between us. If anything, you're usually ahead of me."

"Remember when you ran off in the middle of the night to fight a whole bunch of mages? You were ahead of me then."

"Vilkas, I told you stay put and you only waited an hour or so. So, we went in separately. It doesn't count."

The Nord sighed. "Fine, fine."

Valleri paused and waited for him. She narrowed her eyes as she watched him. "What are we doing in Winterhold? You never told me."

Vilkas felt his shoulders sink and his chest tighten up. Valleri stared at him intently, making the Nord feel just a tad bit unsteady. "I told the others it was Companion's business."

"I'm retired, Vilkas," Valleri interrupted with an entertained smirk.

"Let me finish," Vilkas chided. "This is for Kodlak. You remember how I was on a job right before Kodlak died?" Valleri hummed, letting the Nord continue. "I was getting something for him so that he could cleanse himself of the beast blood."

Valleri nearly gasped. Her mouth moved up and down as she searched for something to say. She looked back over to Vilkas, concern written all over her face, "Gods Vilkas. I'm sorry. I really am. But at the same time, it explains so much."

"I don't understand."

She clicked her tongue and took a deep breath in, "Kodlak was so close and then he just… died."

Vilkas tared at her with wide eyes, "Oh, yeah."

"What did he have you get anyhow?"

"It was, uh," Vilkas paused, "It was a head."

Valleri's face melted into confusion, "Repeat that please?"

"A hagraven head. Kodlak had me get a hagraven head."

Shaking her head, Valleri continued to stammer, "Where in oblivion did you even? Gods, Vilkas!"

"I kept it under my bed for the last few weeks."

"How in the world did no one notice? The thing's gotta be half decayed by now. I can't even imagine how bad it smells."

The Nord shrugged and gestured to one of the bags at his side, "It's held up incredibly well. Want to take a look?"

The Imperial's eyes darted around their surroundings as she deliberated. Finally, she sighed and relented. Valleri nodded her head, "Yeah, sure."

Vilkas stepped off the road and gestured for Valleri to follow. Tentatively, he undid the cord holding the bag closed. Even he expected the stench of decay to fumigate the both of them, but there was nothing. Valleri reluctantly peered into the bag. He heard her mumble something before her eyes went wide with surprise.

"I told you."

She looked up to meet him, "What's keeping it so fresh?"

"Who knows? Kodlak would probably say that it had something to do with the magical oath or whatever it was binding the Companions to the coven. But I think it's something else. Just not sure what."

"Strange stuff, but I'm not gonna question it," Valleri said finally. She waited for Vilkas to secure the bag again before going back to the road. "How long until we make it Winterhold do you think?"

"We've got to make a stop in Windhelm. Then catch a ride to Winterhold. After that, there's an old crypt we have to get to. It's still frozen up there. If I remember correctly, you got lost in the woods and nearly froze to death last we sent you were in Winterhold."

Valleri furrowed her eyebrows, "You're not wrong. I'm curious though; is it necessary to stop in Windhelm?"

The Nord breathed out sharply and bit the inside of his cheek. He exchanged a brief glance with Valleri. "We're gonna need a warm place to sleep in on the way."

"Yeah, but do you remember what we went through a few weeks ago? When the Stormcloaks tried to take over Whiterun?"

Vilkas' stomach churned. "Hard not to."

"Vilkas, they're not going to let us into the city. We both ended up doing a lot of damage and the Stormcloaks probably haven't forgotten."

Valleri crossed her arms as she continued to look up at the taller Nord. Vilkas smirked and rubbed her back reassuringly, "I wouldn't worry too much. They let travelers in and out all the time. There's no reason for the guards to kick us unless we do anything."

"Still doesn't make me feel too much better."

"I know."

He didn't say anything as Valleri took his hand and gave it a quick kiss. The gesture made Vilkas feel a bit fuzzy on the inside. Valleri didn't let go as she walked. It made it a bit difficult to carry the bag with the head, but Vilkas didn't mind.

Without hesitation, Vilkas gave Valleri's hand a squeeze. The Imperial chuckled to herself.

"What?"

Valleri shook her head, "Nothing really. Just, are you going to be distracted when we get to where we're going?"

Vilkas reeled back in mock horror that elicited a laugh from Valleri. "Me? Distracted? Never!"

…

Valleri only just noticed that something was following them. Vilkas had been looking over his shoulder periodically for the last few hours. The Imperial couldn't hear or see anything that might have been following them on the road. If they were some ways past the tree line, she wouldn't even be able to tell. At least Vilkas could tell what was going on.

She exchanged a narrowed glance with him. "So you noticed it too?" Vilkas muttered.

"I just did. How long have you known?"

"A few hours back." Vilkas paused and looked over his shoulder again. "What ever it is, it's staying far behind.'

Valleri furrowed her eyebrows, "Can you actually hear anything?"

"How do you think I figured it out?"

"Makes sense." The two of them walked ahead for a few more minutes before Valleri paused. She turned around and stared. Vilkas stopped in his tracks and arched an eyebrow.

"What are you doing?"

The Imperial shook her head, "Nothing, I'm just curious." Without further notice, Valleri backtracked a few feet and made her way to the edged of the road. She glanced over her shoulder to Vilkas, "Come on. Aren't you at least a little bit interested in knowing what's following us?"

"It's probably just a few wolves or a spriggan if we're lucky," the Nord said, pacing over to Valleri's side. "Wait, are there spriggans in Cyrodiil?"

"Yeah, there are. I've only seen them from afar though," Valleri muttered as she pushed some of the overgrowth out of the way. She tilted her head to the side, attempting to get a better look of her surroundings. Patches of sunlight illuminated only a small portion of the ground. Beyond that, Valleri had a hard time making anything out.

She felt Vilkas come up behind her and stared out of the ground. He perked up suddenly, causing Valleri step back into him. In a moment, Vilkas moved past her and into the underbrush, leaves and twigs crunching underfoot. The Nord didn't even bother hiding himself.

Sighing, Valleri went in after him. She found Vilkas stooped low by a rotten tree. "What is it?"

He gestured to the ground, "Foot prints. Just one person, but they must have left in a hurry when they realized we found them out." Vilkas paused, pointing deeper into the woods. "Ran off that way."

Valleri offered Vilkas a hand as he got up with a groan. He shook the dirt of his legs before walking back to the road. Valleri gave the clearing one last glance before following. "You think they'll follow us?"

"Who's to say?" Vilkas shrugged. He waited for Valleri to meet his side again before they continued. "If they do though, I don't think we'd be in any particular trouble."

"So you say," Valleri trailed off. She kept close to Vilkas, but every once in a while, she looked over her shoulder. Maybe whoever was following didn't run off?


	56. Chapter 56

Valleri rubbed the cold out of her arms in a desperate attempt to stay warm. The sun had gone down not even an hour ago and now her ears and fingers began to sting. Vilkas didn't seem to be bothered by the sudden drop in temperature. Whether it was because he was a werewolf or just a Nord, she couldn't be sure. She was jealous either way.

In moments, Valleri felt her stomach drop as the lights of the city came over the hill. The silhouette of Windhelm in the distance was almost impossible to make out in the distance without them. Just the thought that the the city was looming in the distance would always cast a shadow of foreboding over Valleri. Now especially after her last run in with the Stormcloaks.

Even if the rebellion didn't remember her, she remembered what they did to the city. The memory only instilled the same feeling of mistrust and disgust she held for the Legion. Valleri felt sick thinking about.

Vilkas must have seen the scowl on her face. He sighed and looked down, "You look like you're having fun."

Valleri stared pointedly ahead, "Hey Vilkas? You know how you hate Markarth?"

"Yep."

"That's exactly how I feel about Windhelm."

Vilkas grimaced as he saw the exhausted look on the Imperial's face. "It can't be the worst place in the world."

"No, it is! Last time I was there, I saw two men run into some sort of the back alley way with swords and clubs. We both know they were going after the Dunmer, Vilkas. And that seemed to be a daily occurrence."

"I wasn't saying Windhelm wasn't full of its own problems."

They both paused for a moment, but Vilkas could feel Valleri's shivers getting more intense. She shot him a dissatisfied smirk, "And, it's fucking cold here too."

A grin grew over the Nord's face, "Warm blooded Imperial." He clicked his tongue, "Almost eight months in Skyrim, and still not used to the cold."

"Oh, give me break," Valleri said with a laugh. Gesturing wildly with a hand, she continued, "The snow is gone for the most part, but the wind here is horrible. As soon as that sun goes down, the temperature just drops."

Vilkas shrugged, "That's just what it's like here."

"I know." Valleri paused and stared at the ground ahead of her. "Gosh, I can't wait to see how well you do in Anvil. You'd melt right on the street."

Vilkas rolled his eyes. He knew she was challenging him. And Valleri had a point. She knew she did. And all Vilkas could do was to accept the fact he would eventually end up in Anvil and indeed die from heat exhaustion. What a way to go. He could imagine Valleri laughing when she would finally find him melted on the floor.

He didn't speak further on the subject. Valleri suddenly stopped on the road and looked forward. In moments, she pointed to the horizon. "Speaking of extreme temperatures, it's getting colder and I see the city in the distance."

Vilkas paused and looked up. Indeed, he could see yellow lights on the distance. They shimmered in the distance, making the Imperial feel just a tad bit warmer. The silhouette of the city was hardly visible against the sky. Without the lights flickering in the distance, Valleri never would have spotted it.

Tilting her head, she stopped Vilkas again. "Hey, stop for a minute."

"Yeah?"

"What do you see? When you look at the city?" Valleri asked with a grin, pointing to the horizon.

"Well, it's a bit hard, but I can see the mouth of the port and the mountain behind the city." Vilkas paused, crossing his arms. "Then there's the bridge across the river. Then at the very top, I can barely make out the top of Palace of kings."

"No kidding?" Valleri sighed and shook her head in awe. "I'm still always gonna be amazed you can do that."

"It's not amazing. It's just how I see things. Come on, let's go before you turn into an icicle," Vilkas muttered. He gave Valleri a pat on the back and the two of them made the final stretch to the main gate.

They slowed when they saw the two guardsmen sitting in boredom next to a closed gate. Both Valleri and Vilkas were confused. Usually, even the dead of night, the gate would have been wide open.

It wasn't long before one of the guards noticed them approaching. They stood up and walked to meet the two newcomers.

"Halt and state your business."

Vilkas narrowed his eyes while Valleri stared at them numbly. "We're here for a bed and a meal. What's it to you?"

The guard shrugged, "Nothing to me, but the Jarl wants travel into the city restricted. There's been some dubious looking people lurking about."

"Dubious?"

"Mostly nothing, I think. Galmar thinks it's Legion spies or Thalmor agents." The guard paused when Valleri groaned. They shot her a disappointed stare. "What's wrong with you?"

"Isn't the Jarl just being paranoid at this point?" Valleri asked with exasperation thick in her voice.

The guard crossed their arms and huffed. "No, he isn't. After all, he is trying to take back what's rightfully ours. If someone gets into the city and runs amok, well that's just bad for everyone. You're not some sort of Imperial dog, are you?"

"Well, I'm an Imperial from Anvil. But that doesn't mean that I'm with the Legion, "Valleri sighed, pulling her cloak closer around her neck. "Geez."

Vilkas stepped forward and started talking, forcing the guard to take a step back. "We haven't slept in actual bed for a few days. Are we going to waste more time out here, or can we go in?"

"Fine, you've made your point." The guard relented. After a moment of hesitating, they signaled up to the watchtower above and the gate slid open. Vilkas nodded his head as he and Valleri stepped in. The guard grumbled all the while.

…

Thankfully, the inn was right across the street. They made a beeline for the building and burst inside much to the chagrin of the owner. She glared at them when the duo threw open the door with a bang, letting in a gust of cold air.

Valleri looked up with a smile, "Sorry. It's cold outside."

"Yeah, exactly. It's cold outside. Close the damn door!"

Vilkas muttered a sorry to the woman and walked up to the counter. Valleri wasted no time in shutting the door. It slammed with an ugly thud, making the Imperial wince. She watched Vilkas from the corner of her eye as he talked with inn keeper. The woman regarded both of them frustration.

"Please tell me you only need a room."

"Just for now," Vilkas answered.

The woman breathed a sigh of relief, "Good. It's late and I'm not in the mood to start cooking again." She waved the newcomers to follow her. "Right this way. You two are lucky I have a lot of room tonight. The city's been under some sort of lock down recently. I get it. After the loss at Whiterun, people think it's the end of the war or something. But I'm confident we'll pull through."

Valleri sighed and shot Vilkas a tired glance. He shook his head without a word. The inn keeper spun on her heel and shot them another exasperated glare, "Well here's your room. Don't destroy anything or I'm charging double."

Valleri furrowed her eyebrows and bit her tongue, "Listen, I just want to sleep."

The inn keeper shrugged and left the room. Valleri could hear her grumbling down the hall. The Imperial couldn't care less though. Throwing her cloak on a nearby chair, Valleri didn't hesitate to get into the bed. Vilkas was slower, neatly folding his own cloak before placing it on the chair next to the red pile of fabric. He snuggled down next to her in the smaller than comfortable bed. But at least it was bed and not just an abandoned shack.

Valleri relished the inky dark warmth. She was about to drift into sleep, but Vilkas was still fidgeting next to her. Eventually he wrapped an arm around her waist and nuzzled his head into the back of her shoulder.

"Someone else just got a room," Vilkas muttered.

"What?"

"They said the city was on lock down, but someone just walked in."

Valleri rolled over and opened an eye. "What the fuck?'

"I dunno. I can smell them in the other room. Smells like they haven't seen civilization for two years."

"Vilkas?"

"Yeah?"

"Please go to bed."

…

Valleri waited next to the door while Vilkas stopped by the counter in the inn. It was still early in the morning and they were both eager to leave. Still the Vilkas' curiosity loomed over him. Valleri couldn't blame him. It wasn't as though Vilkas was going to take long anyways.

The inn keeper twirled on her heel to face the taller Nord. "Is something wrong? Cause I don't give refunds."

Vilkas furrowed his eyebrows in confusion, "What? No. Everything's fine. I was just curious about something."

"Oh gods."

"Did another customer come in after us?"

"And what's it to you?" the inn keeper snapped. Vilkas reeled back in surprise.

Valleri scowled and stepped in. "We thought the town was under lockdown or something. We found it curious is all."

"Well, one more person did in fact come in. A Breton." The inn keeper paused, "Strange thing though. It looked like they hadn't bathed in three years. Beard like a cave bear and I know that's not saying a lot. If they'd been just tiny bit dirtier, I would have taken them as a beggar"

Valleri stared up at Vilkas. He exchanged an equally exasperated glance with her. "Are they still here?" he finally asked.

The inn keeper shrugged, "Nah, they left an hour or so go. Good riddance."

"Well, thanks I guess," Valleri muttered. Without another moment wasted, she followed Vilkas out the door. The day was bright and clear, but Valleri still felt cold seeping into her bones. Maybe it had been just the general coldness of the city. The near black cobblestones were still slicked over with ice and didn't exactly exude warmth. The people here didn't alleviate the condition either.

Vilkas must have noticed the downcast look on her face. He tilted his head with smirk and started talking. "I'll have to agree. Windhelm is horrible."

"Thank you," Valleri said, eyes going wide for a moment. "Everyone here just seems so full of it. I shouldn't say too much more."

"No, probably not," Vilkas agreed. "We won't be here for much longer at least."

Valleri breathed out sharply, furrowing her eyebrows, "One can hope." Neither of them spoke further. In the back of her head, she felt watched again.

"Die Companion!"

Valleri barely heard the noise when she turned to look up at Vilkas next to her. Or was he behind her? She only watched in disbelief and shock as a hooded figure had taken hold of Vilkas, hand covering his mouth. It took Valleri an extra second to notice the silver glimmer of the knife at Vilkas' throat.

"You'll pay for what you did at Driftshade!"

Valleri watched in horror when the hooded figure began to draw the knife across the Nord's neck. Valleri could only focus on the red. In another flash of confusion, Vilkas threw his elbow against the figure and the knife fell to the ground.

The Nord turned on his heel and stepped back to Valleri. "What in Oblivion?"

The hooded figure unsheathed a hidden sword and started charging after Vilkas. The figure screamed, loud and terrifying, calling attention to the sudden brawl. Vilkas had no trouble sidestepping the figure's haphazard attack. He unsheathed his own sword reluctantly.

The hood fell from the figure's face as he stared upwards at Vilkas. Valleri could see a dirty Breton with a scraggly beard. Vilkas exchanged a hurried glance with Valleri. Apparently, he was thinking the same thing.

The Breton yelled once more and went after Vilkas again. He stepped back and waited for the Breton to move again. When he did, Vikas didn't hesitate to bring the hilt of his sword down on the man's head. The Breton fell to the ground like a sack of potatoes.

Vilkas was breathing heavily as he glanced from the Breton back to Valleri. "That must have been the man the inn keeper was telling us about earlier."

"Yeah, but why would he just attack you?"

"I take it you didn't hear him yelling about Driftshade?"

Valleri shook her head, "No, I'm afraid I was a little bit more preoccupied. I thought you were going to be gutted when he grabbed you. How's your neck?" Vilkas shrugged absentmindedly then gestured to behind Valleri. The Imperial turned around only to be met with a guard approaching her. They drug their feet on the cobblestones below despite the obvious rush.

"What's all this then? Why in Oblivion do you think having a brawl in the middle of a busy street is okay?" Valleri didn't say anything and just looked over at Vilkas. They couldn't see the guard's face, but Valleri and Vilkas were sure the guard was scowling. "Well?"

"This man grabbed me from behind," the Companion explained.

"It looks like the other guys on the ground. How am I to know you didn't just attack them?'

Vilkas blanched, "What?"

"Well, do you have a witness?"

Valleri spoke up finally from behind, voice sharp, "Yeah! I was right here. I saw the entire thing!"

The Imperial was sure that the guard was rolling their eyes when they didn't answer her. They took a step closer to Vilkas. "Listen, I can't get a full statement from the guy I just saw you knock right there," the guard continued, his voice becoming more erratic with each word. "Who is he anyways?"

"Hell if I know!" Vilkas snapped. "Look, he was yelling a lot of stuff. But he mentioned he was looking for me or something. I don't know."

Vilkas looked back Valleri for support. She only shrugged. They could hear the guard take in a sharp breath before continuing, "It's too early in the day for this shit. Just take your friend and go. If I see the three of you in this city again for the next month, I'll drag your asses to dungeon myself."

There was a long pause before anyone said anything. Vilkas stared at the guard for a long while, his face contorting from confusion, disbelief. Finally, Valleri could see an expression annoyance bordering on anger. "Wait, can you repeat that?"

"I'm kicking you out of the city. All three of you."

Valleri rushed over to Vilkas before the Nord would lose it. "Hey it's fine we were just leaving anyways," Valleri explained through rushed words. She looked up to Vilkas with a stern glare and the Nord finally relented with a sigh. He gestured to the Breton still knocked out cold on the ground. Valleri rolled her eyes, "And, I guess we'll take him too."

"Good. Now scat."

The Imperial watched as the guard promptly left. Meanwhile, Vilkas sheathed his sword and knelt down to pick up the Breton with a groan. "You certainly don't seem too upset," he said.

"Not really," Valleri paused, turning back to face him. "I have an excuse to not come back to this backwards city for a while. I am, however, a bit sorry we have to take him with us," Valleri finished pointing to the Breton man slung around Vilkas' shoulder.

Vilkas mustered an entertained grin. "This isn't the worst thing that's happened. When he wakes up, we'll get some answers."


	57. Chapter 57

Lexius felt some small bit of relief when he saw the border gate in the distance. It was smaller than he remembered and the gate was closed. Imperial soldiers meandered around. Lexius didn't have to look to long to see they were bored as hell.

Farkas was kind enough to make sure that Lexius made it to the border alive. After that, Lexius was on his own. He could imagine Valleri giving him a distrustful stare as he left, but she wasn't here. She was somewhere up north. And it wasn't as though Lexius had never gone from Bruma back to Anvil before. Everything from here on out was as easy as a sweet roll. At least until he saw Skeeva again. The old Argonain was prone to worrying. But unlike quiet Alastaros, Skeeva had no qualms letting everybody know what was on his mind. Lexius was not looking forward to telling him what happened.

Despite that, the Redguard was looking forward to going home and finally leaving this gods forsaken frozen wasteland.

The Nord just a little bit of ahead of him when he stopped and turned to face Lexius. "Welp, this is where I leave you, friend," Farkas said with a tinge of excitement in his voice.

Lexius shrugged. "This doesn't feel nearly as climatic as I thought it would."

"What'd you expect? That I was gonna start stage acting out the Black Sacrament or something?"

"Well no," Lexius paused and sucked in a breath. "Its just that I didn't realize that crossing the border would be so lack luster. It's like five guys standing around a gate."

Farakas stole a glance at the guards. "must be a slow day. We can easily make more exciting if that's what you want though."

The Redguard shook his head, "Nah, I'm good."

"If you say so."

"Wanna go to Cyrodiil?"

"Not at all!" Farkas bellowed with a wide grin. "No, I want to go home and see Ysolda. Also, from what Val's told me, Cyrodiil is too hot for me."

"Bah, you're no fun. Val's gonna end up dragging your brother to Anvil at some point. May as well join in the fun."

"No kidding?"

"Let's face it; Vilkas is weak minded and Valleri's got a will of iron. Her dragging him back home is bound to happen at some point," Lexius said a matter of factly.  
Farkas grimaced, "That doesn't seem right."

"Doesn't matter. Tell Val that I'll write as soon as I get to Anvil."

Farkas nodded with an uncertain smile, "Will do. Last piece of advice if it's okay."

"Go for it."

The Nord took a deep breath in before grabbing Lexius' shoulder. The Redguard shuddered when Farkas started talking. "Don't go off the road. Ever."

Lexius could only laugh. He gave Farkas' arm a quick pat and grinned, "Never again. I've learned my lesson. I'll see you when ever I see you and tell Ysolda I said hi and bye."

Without another moment wasted, Lexius turned and approached the deteriorating gate with no small amount of bravado. It wasn't until another minute later the guards noticed him. One of them stopped him with a yell. Instinctively, Lexius took a step back. "You looking to cross the border?" the legionnaire shouted.

"Yeah."

The legionnaire held out his hand, "Papers please." Sighing, Lexius gave the man a sheaf of crumpled papers. He looked them over with a disinterested eye before continuing his line of questioning, "Where're you headed to?"

"Anvil."

"You live there?"

"Yep."

The legionnaire cringed when he saw Lexius' missing hand. "Bad trip?"

"You wouldn't believe." Lexius sighed and tilted his head in frustration. "Look, can I go now?"

"By all means go on ahead. Welcome back." The legionnaire stepped to the side and signaled for the gate to open. Lexius wasted no time in crossing over to Cyrodiil. It was still snowy and mountainous around him. The landscape was no different than Skyrim only a few feet behind him. But somehow, he felt like he was warming up already.

…

Aicantar hummed as he wiped the dust of a curved bronze piece of metal. Most of the grime he was trying to clean off was stuck in the relief patterns carved into the metal. The design was pretty enough and he knew as soon as he saw it, the piece was meant to sit on the outer layer of some sort of wall. Not the most exciting piece of metal to be sure, but maybe he could have Moth do something with it.

The orc was nice enough to him. After Lexius ran off with his notes, Aicantar felt like he was falling into a pit. He'd only happened upon the forge by accident. Moth gro-Balog was happy lend an ear. Moth also helped Aicantar get Smitty fixed up much to the Altmer's surprise. By now, he considered Moth a good friend.

At the current moment though, Aicantar was busy cleaning and cataloguing what little his uncle had pulled out of the Dwarven city. The process was long and tedious and Aicantar wanted to pull his hair out. He let out an exhausted groan and leaned back in his seat.

Since he got back from Whiterun, Calcelmo was determined to run him ragged.

The Altmer let out a shrill screech when he felt something tickling the back of his leg. He jumped and looked behind. Unsurprisingly, Smitty was clawing at his leg. Aicantar sighed and mumbled an apology to the spider. At least Smitty still loved him even if was only for the pendant around his neck. Aicantar could dream.

Smitty didn't put up their usual fuss as Aicantar picked them up and placed them on the work table. The spider's machinery hummed as they scuttled around. As if on cue, Smitty reared up and waved their two front legs up in the air. A smile came to the Altmer's face as he watched his friend.

That smile did not last long. From the back of the room, Aicantar could hear someone attempting to approach him quietly. With annoyed stare, he turned to the frightened guard taking up half the door way. "What is it?" Aicantar snapped.

The guard took a minute answer, expression turning even more nervous with each passing second. "Calcelmo wanted to see you. Said that it's important," he finally mumbled

"Is that it?" Aicantar asked, this time softer. The guard still seemed increasingly uneasy.

"Yeah."

Sighing, Aicantar got up from his seat and prompted Smitty to follow him. The Altmer didn't bother to hurry as he wound around the corridors of the laboratory. If it was so important, his uncle could have gotten him himself.

At least that's what Aicantar thought until he rounded the corner leading to the workspace.

Aicantar began to panic when he caught sight of an elf in the nearly black robes he recognized immediately. The Thalmor agent clacked his heel against the ground and Aicantar could imagine the disappointment of his face. Tentatively, he walked over to his uncle and the agent at a snail's speed. Calcelmo noticed him first.

"There you. What took you so long?"

Aicantar grimaced as he answered. "I lost track of time trying to finish the…"

"I don't care what you were doing," Calcelmo interrupted him. "I asked for you almost fifteen minutes ago. Now, you remember Ondolemar, right?"

Mustering a faulty smile, Aicantar turned to meet the agent. "Hard not to forget." Immediately, Aicantar felt sick. He promised himself to choose his words more carefully. "Sorry."

Ondolemar's face stayed unfalteringly blank as he looked down at the shorter elf. Calcelmo clicked his tongue before going off on another tangent. "He asked for you specifically. I'll expect you back in the laboratory when you're done."

Aicantar watched with horror as his uncle slinked back to whatever shadows he usually hid in. The Thalmor agent coughed loudly, dragging Aicantar's attention back to him. "I understand you're one of the only people who can translate Falmer documents."

"Yeah?"

"Good. I have a little project for you." Ondolemar paused only to pull out a leaflet of papers. He all but shoved them into Aicantar's hands before continuing. "I was given these not too long ago. Its imperative we know what this says."

The younger Altmer glanced over, eye brows furrowing when he recognized some of the words. Suddenly, he turned back to Ondolemar. "Is this from Mzinchaleft?"  
"I'm not at liberty to say where these papers are from."

"I can see right of the bat it mentions Ayleids."

"Logically you could reason that this could be from the far south as well from that line of thought."

"Not… really."

Ondolemar's frown morphed into a scowl. "I told you that you only needed to translate the damn thing."

Aicantar sighed with exhaustion, "Is there a time you need this by? A due date perhaps?"

The Thalmor agent pinched the bridge of his nose and sucked a hard breath in. "You ask the most ridiculous questions for someone who's apparently intelligent. Just get it done."

Without another second wasted, Aicantar watched Ondolemar walk off. The older Altmer grumbled and moaned and Aicantar couldn't hear him. Not that he really cared. He actually felt some relief watching him leave.

With a sigh, Aicantar began walking back to the laboratory. Smitty at least wasn't upset with him for anything and followed him like a puppy. Much to Aicantar's chagrin, Calcelmo came next to him as he walked. The old elf wore a frown. It wasn't unusual but it still set Aicantar off.

"What'd they want this time?" Aicantar didn't answer immediately, prompting Calcelmo to stop him. "Are you in trouble? I can't help you if you don't tell me anything."

Aicantar sucked a breath in, "Its just that Valleri's been stalked by this one Thalmor guy for months now and he followed us to that Dwemer ruin. Everything sort of fell apart after that and Lexius had his arm cut off and then Alastaros died. Valleri said something about another war but she's been out of it for a while." Finally, Aicantar stopped to take a breather. Calcelmo only stared at him with wide eyes. "Listen, a lot happened."

"Alastaros died then?"

Calcelmo's somber tone made Aicantar's heart sink.

"He did."

"I'm sorry to hear it. He will be missed."

The younger elf took a step back, "I thought you hated him."

"You can say that word as much as you like but feelings like that hardly ever manifest. Alastaros was a despicable man by my standards. But that doesn't mean I had no respect for him. He achieved more than I could hope to. I knew the day he would end up dead in a hole somewhere was coming. I just hoped it wouldn't have been so soon. I'd give my condolences to his family."

The old Altmer began walking towards the laboratory again. Aicantar could only follow him for now. They were too busy for old sentiments anyway.

…

Valleri and Vilkas didn't make it very far before the Breton started to wake up. Valleri didn't notice it at first until Vilkas stopped. With a roll of her eyes, she followed him a few feet off the road. The Nord dropped their impromptu friend next to a fallen tree. The Breton groaned loudly when his head collided with the wood.

"You don't have to be so rough with him," Valleri said from behind him.

"This guy got us kicked out of Windhelm, remember? He also tried to kill me."

"Doesn't mean you have to pay that particular favor back."

Vilkas rolled his eyes. She had a point. "Fine."

The Nord crouched down, coming face to face with the Breton. Vilkas slapped him hard across the face until their friend woke up. The Breton awoke with a start, knocking his head into the stump a second time. Valleri cringed when he yelled in pain. His eyes went wide when he finally looked over to Vilkas in front of him.  
"Fuck. Fucking hell! Where in Oblivion am I?"

"Not in Windhelm," Vilkas said with a sigh.

The Breton swallowed hard before mumbling a few more words, "You're not going to kill me, are you?"

Vilkas reeled back in surprise, "What? No!"

"Then what am I doing out here?"

"You tell us. You tried to kill Vilkas here before getting us kicked out Windhelm," Valleri explained from the back.

"Oh, right…"

Vilkas glanced over his shoulder back to Valleri. The Imperial shrugged before taking his place in front of the Breton. "Do you have a name or something at least?" she asked.

"And why should I tell you? You realize you're traveling with a monster, right?"

"Yeah, I know way more than you can imagine, friend. My name's Valleri and then you know Vilkas already. Who're you?"

She watched the Breton mull over his options for a moment. Soon enough, he was talking again, "Marcel. My name's Marcel."

"Nice. Why were you following us?"

"I don't mean you any particular harm, Imperial. But that monster over there committed the massacre at Driftshade. I was the only one to make it out alive. He deserves to be put down like the dog he is."

Valleri looked over her shoulder at Vilkas. The Nord cringed to himself. The Imperial could only shake her head before turning back to Marcel. "No one's denying that happened. And I don't think a worded apology is gonna smooth things over. It does beg the question though; what did the Silver Hand have against the Companions?"

Marcel grimaced, "I don't know. All I remember was something about literal blood thirsty animals running the largest warrior band in Skyrim. Something to do with Deadra. Most of the new recruits were Vigilant rejects. I was recruited from Stendarr's Beacon."

"Why didn't you just walk away?" Vilkas asked from the back.

Marcel shot him a sharp glance, "Why'd you have to kill everyone?"

"Because you people murdered Kodlak!"

"Will you two shut the fuck up?" Valleri yelled. Both men looked away as Valleri got back on her feet. Her eyes darted between Marcel and Vilkas as she spoke, "Look. Arguing isn't gonna fix anything. What's happened, happened. I've been with the Companions less than a year and it seems like lycanthropy doesn't seem like it's going to be around for much longer."

"That doesn't make up for what they've done already! How am I supposed to feel safe knowing that a trusted organization may just end slaughtering citizens whenever Hircine feels bored."

"Great. Now we're bringing gods into this," Valleri said flatly.

Vilkas raised his hand, "Can I put in my own two septims?"

"No!"

"Yes!"

Vilkas waited another moment before talking, "I don't really know how to apologize. I know what I did was wrong, terrorizing even. And I'm trying to atone for that. A lot of us are actually. Kodlak tried. And then he died."

"Get to the point, dog."

Vilkas narrowed his eyes before throwing up his hands. "Fine. If you don't believe me, come with us."

Marcel crossed his arms in a moment of retaliation, "Why? What would that accomplish? Are you just going to kill me in some secluded corner of the frozen wasteland?"

"No," Vilkas paused, taking a deep breath in. "Kodlak didn't want to be a werewolf anymore and I'm trying to fix that. I owe him that much at least."

Marcel narrowed his eyes and looked over to Valleri. "You look sane, Imperial. You don't actually believe any of this do you?"

Valleri shrugged with a smirk, "Yeah, I do actually."

"Gods, I thought you looked smart."

The Imperial laughed, "Jokes on you, Marcel. I'm smart enough to give the benefit of the doubt to anything. So, are you coming or not?"

Valleri and Vilkas watched Marcel think over his options. The Breton sighed and looked up at Vilkas, "My options are to either freeze here or go with you two. Both of those options suck. But I'll go with you. At least if I die, I know who to haunt."

Valleri exchanged a relived look with Vilkas. The man grimaced but Valleri didn't pay him any mind. Without further ado they made their way back to the road in silence. At least Marcel wasn't trying to kill them anymore.


	58. Chapter 58

Valleri breathed out sharply and kept her eyes shut tight. The blanket was pulled down, leaving her lower back and shoulders exposed to the cold air that filled the room. Still the body next to her radiated enough heat to make her feel almost uncomfortable. Valleri wouldn't have wanted it any other way.

Reluctantly, Valleri propped herself up on her elbows and rolled over to face Vilkas. The Nord still sleeping next to her. The Nord was sprawled out on his back with an arm dangling off the side of the day. Valleri watched his chest rise as he breathed. She smiled as she placed a hand on Vilkas' chest.

Since they left Windhelm, Vilkas was becoming increasingly nervous. Valleri felt some amount of relief watching him sleeping peacefully next to her. She hadn't seen Vilkas this relaxed in a long time. At least not since the Battle of Whiterun

Her eyelids began to feel heavy and a lazy smirk grew on Valleri's face. She had to get up soon. Breathing out sharply, the Imperial leaned over and gave Vilkas' forehead a quick kiss. She was about to get up when she felt Vilkas wrap his arms around her waist. Valleri laughed as he pulled her back down next to him.

"You're awake then?"

Vilkas kept his eyes shut as he sighed, "Unfortunately. We should go back to bed."

The thought tantalized Valleri. She laid back down on Vilkas' chest and stretched her arms far out, making the sleepy Nord groan for a moment. "We can't just stay here all morning. We have places to be and things to do," she muttered.

"Et cetera, et cetera." Vilkas paused and sighed again. Quietly he brushed the stray hairs from Valleri's face. "We don't have stay here all day but a while longer sounds nice."

Valleri grinned and leaned back over gave Vilkas another kiss, barely brushing her lips over his skin. The Nord chuckled. Finally, he opened his eyes and propped himself up against the headboard. For a moment longer, Vilkas kept his hand on Valleri's cheek. The Imperial shook her head with a smirk. "At some point we will have to get up," Valleri said.

"No," Vilkas stated. He brought Valleri closer suddenly and the Imperial nearly fell over.

Quickly, Valleri regained her balance and turned to face Vilkas. He eyed her through heavy lidded eyes, grabbing Valleri's hands. Valleri tilted her head, "You make a very weak case."

"I can change that easily," Vilkas said. "For instance, it's very cold outside. And you're a warm blooded Imperial who won't last more than a few minutes."

Valleri rolled her eyes before looking back at the Nord she was sitting on. "I can just wear more layers. And It is getting warmer outside."

"You really want to leave me here?"

"Well," Valleri paused, "Not exactly."

Vilkas didn't say anything as he brought Valleri closer for another kiss. The Imperial pulled back reluctantly with a lazy smile. "Stay now?" Vilkas asked quietly.

Valleri rolled her eyes, "Yeah. You made a particularly strong case." She gave Vilkas another kiss just below his ear. Instinctively, Vilkas stretched and leaned into her. Just as he was about to bring her in, Valleri leaned back, eyeing him coyly, "Besides, I could get used to this."

She sank back into Vilkas, relishing the welcome warmth coming off of him. Soon enough, it was just the two of them in their own little world. Slowly, Valleri began pulling Vilkas' shirt off.

"Gods above, this is what you two have been doing?"

Valleri stopped and any smile she was wearing was quickly replaced with mild annoyance. Her eyes rolled as she shook her head. Vilkas only smirked, pushing Valleri further into mock rage. Whipping her head back to meet him, Valleri addressed the newcomer. "Haven't you learned to knock, Marcel?"

The Breton huffed, "I did. Twice."

"Well, we were gonna…" Vilkas paused for a moment, then sighed with disappointment, "It doesn't matter what we were doing."

"Of course, it doesn't matter. As far as I was aware, we were Winterhold for a specific reason other than the romantic tryst you two were obviously enraptured in," Marcel continued. He tapped his foot on the floor and crossed his arms in irritation.

Valleri narrowed her eyes as she took another look at Marcel, "You look different. What happened?"

"I took the opportunity to take a bath and what not." The Breton tapped his foot a little bit faster. "Look, that's not important. What are we even doing here?"

Valleri tipped her head to Vilkas and shifted herself next to him. Vilkas sighed, covering his eyes with a free hand. "We're here to cure the Harbinger of lycanthropy."

Marcel grimaced, "Isn't he dead?"

"Yes, and no thanks to you," Vilkas muttered.

"I wasn't the one who killed your friend," Marcel interjected with a pointed finger.

Vilkas shook his head, "Well, Kodlak's dead regardless and this is the least I can do for him. Though to be honest, I'm not even sure it'll work."

"What's the point then?"

Valleri spoke up before Vilkas could say anything, but she could see him smoldering from the corner of her eye. "What's the point to anything Marcel? It's a sign of respect." She glanced back to Vilkas, "You said we had to go to an old crypt, right?"

The Nord shrugged, "It's the place where Ysgrammor and the original five hundred Companions were buried. As far as I know, no one's been there for a few centuries. Who knows? Maybe there'll be dragur."

"Gods, I hope not," Valleri muttered.

"Well whatever it is, I hope you don't expect me to help. I just want to see what happens," Marcel stated, staring pointedly at Vilkas.

"Marcel's almost as bad as Cyrenial," Valleri said with an amused grin.

Vilkas glanced at her with a worried glint in his eyes, "Valleri, don't even joke about that!"

"Whose Cyrenial?"

Valleri's eyes went wide momentarily, "Another mildly inconvenient person we know. It's not something you should worry about."

"Don't worry, I won't," Marcel interrupted, "We should be off soon anyways."

Valleri and Vilkas didn't say anything further while their friend walked out of the room. Valleri placed a hand on Vilkas shoulder and leaned her head downwards. "I guess this means we really have to get up."

Vilkas groaned and leaned his head back against the head board. "Why'd we have to bring him along?"

"Well, that's how things worked out, huh?" Valleri said with a smirk. Vilkas only glanced to the other side of the room with annoyed expression on his face. "Besides, we'll have plenty of time later to finish what we started earlier."

Vilkas grinned as he watched Valleri get up from the bed and walk across the room to get dressed. "You're absolutely right."

…

Valleri squinted as she looked at the stony mound in front of her. She thought the tomb of the founder of such a famous group would have been buried in a grander tomb. After spending most of the day trudging down the icy cliffs from Winterhold, Valleri felt like she was cheated. Marcel looked equally disappointed.

She turned to Vilkas, "You're sure this is the place?"

Vilkas didn't answer her right away, looking up at the structure with a strange look on his face. Finally, Vilkas turned to her, "What?"

"This doesn't look like somewhere you'd bury a cultural hero."

The Nord shrugged, "Must be bigger inside."

Marcel shook his head, still not impressed. "Are you done staring at the place or are we just done here?"

"Just give me a minute," Vilkas snapped. "This place is near sacred to the Companions. Hell, it took me weeks to even learn where this place is."

"That long, huh?" Valleri questioned. "You'd think they'd keep the location well documented." She paused again, grimacing. "Can we go in now? It's getting cold."

Vilkas started forward and climbed up the side stairs leading to the inside of the mound. "Yeah, let's go. The door's probably unlocked."

Valleri and Marcel exchanged an unsure glance before following him. The Breton nearly tripped on the stairs going down. He let out a high pitched shriek as he twisted his ankle. Vilkas didn't bother to look back but Valleri helped him up. "You okay?"

Marcel grimaced, "I'm fine, I'm fine. Unhand me please."

Valleri backed up from marcel and held her hands up in the air. She watched Marcel cringe as he got up, grabbing the wall for support. They both looked over when they heard a click and Vilkas muttering to himself. Valleri walked over and paused over behind the Nord. He nudged the door open and the hinges squealed as they moved. Vilkas shrugged, "I'm actually amazed it didn't take too long to open."

"I think I'm more amazed the door wasn't iced over." Valleri took one last glance at the door before going inside. As she expected, the inside of the ruin was just as cold as it was outside. Maybe it was fitting place to bury some ancient Nordic barbarian here after all? Valleri didn't think much more on it, instead listening for the footsteps behind her.

It wasn't long before Valleri came across the bottom of the stairs. The room was small and cluttered. Swords, spears, and shields littered the room clustered around a giant statue dominating the middle of the room. The Imperial's eyes narrowed as she studied it. The statue was made of black stone and moss poked out of the cracks and crags. Its arms were raised out in way that suggested that the statue was meant to hold something.

Valleri turned around when she heard a gasp behind her. Vilkas and Marcel were stopped on the stairs. The Nord's eyes were as wide as dinner plates staring at the statue.

"You know what this is?" Valleri asked in low tones.

Vilkas glared at her for a moment, "Of course I do. It's Ysgramor."

Grimacing, Marcel pushed past Vilkas, eliciting a scowl from the Nord. "That's well and all. But is this the only part of the tomb?" The Breton gestured all around them. "I hate to point out the obvious, but there's no open doors in here."

Valleri sighed and looked back to Vilkas, "Marcel has a point."

She watched as Vilkas came closer, stopping only when he was facing the statue directly. "He's missing Wuuthrad," Vilkas muttered to himself.

"Do you think the artist forgot to add it?"

Vilkas hummed, "No, this one's supposed to have the real one."

Scowling, Valleri glanced at the floor, "Like the one we've been collecting the pieces of? Last I checked it was still in pieces." She paused and waited for Vilkas to nod his head. "Vilkas, I don't see you carrying around a giant axe. That'd be too hard not to notice."

Marcel finally turned to face the duo, still scowling, "Wait, you don't have your giant axe with you? Does this mean we can go home? Trips over?"

"Not at all," Vilkas said finally. He kneeled down on the ground and began to riffle through his pack. "Apparently, I stashed the fragments under my bed and forgot about them. Didn't even remember them until just before we left Whiterun."

"For the love of…" Valleri trailed off. "Are you sure this is gonna work?"

The Nord shrugged, "I think it will."

Vilkas pulled out a small bag, presumably filled with the fragments, and plopped them down by the statue's pedestal. The trio waited for something to happen. And nothing did. The room was filled with an awkward silence. Vilkas stared up at the statue in disappointment, arms crossed.

The Imperial glanced over to Marcel. The Breton sighed, "Well, that was climatic."

"Shut it," Vilkas snapped.

"I'm sorry that it didn't work, but what did you think would happen, you stuffed Nord?" Marcel continued.

"I didn't know what would happen, but I had to try something!"

Valleri sighed as her two friends continued to bicker. She gave the bag a swift kick to the bag out of boredom. It landed at the Ysgramor's feet with a muffled clang. Valleri was about to give up and turn around when she heard rumbling.

"Do you guys hear that?"

Vilkas paused, "Hear what?"

"Shut up for a moment," Valleri interrupted. Vilkas and Marcel exchanged a confused look. Valleri only stared at the ground as she strained her ears. Maybe she was thinking things up?

Vilkas perked up a moment later, "Oh wait, there it is." The Nord didn't waste another moment before running to the wall behind the statue. Valleri followed him, watching Vilkas kick away some random clutter away from blocking the gate. Vilkas turned to Marcel behind them, "See, it worked!"

The Breton could only shrug, but Valleri could see him begin to panic. "So what? That was only good luck."

Vilkas and Valleri exchanged a knowing glance before the Nord ran forward.

…

The trio soon learned of how vast the tomb actually was. The single hallway poking off the first room slowly morphed into a series of greater halls. Valleri wasn't surprised by the size. She'd seen vast underground cities before in Cyrodiil. Of course, most Ayleid ruins weren't very well preserved without much of the magic the ancient elves left in pace.

This Nordic tomb, however, was almost as good as new. Some of the colors used in the murals were faded, but the carvings were intact. Maybe it had something to do with how cold the ground was?

Valleri turned back to Vilkas. "How old is this place again?"

"At least a thousand years old." Vilkas paused, "I don't actually know."

"It looks almost brand new. Got some dust and what not, but nothing's really destroyed."

The Nord furrowed his eyebrows, "Ayeid ruins don't hold up too well?"

Valleri shrugged, "They usually do but roots and vines tend to break through the stones and what not. Things get messy. And then the Great War didn't help."

"Should be a nice change of pace then."

The Imperial hummed as she continued to follow Vilkas and Marcel. The Breton was limping along silently. A look of tense apprehension was drawn on his face. Valleri couldn't blame Marcel for being sour. Valleri almost bumped into the Breton when he and Vilkas stopped suddenly. The hallway in front of them was covered by swaths of spider webs.

Valleri groaned. Stopping behind them, she crossed her arms. "I thought this place was empty."

Vilkas used a spare knife to cut through the sticky mess. "It was either spiders or dragur. I don't know what would be worse," he muttered as he worked.

"I know what your brother would think is worse."

Vilkas looked up to her with a smirk, "I felt bad he didn't want to come, but maybe it's for the best."

"I can hear them scuttling around in there," Marcel whispered, voice quivering. "Gods, I absolutely hate spiders. Especially the really big ones."

Valleri and Vilkas exchanged an entertained glance before Valleri gave their Breton friend a slap on the shoulder. "You're gonna have fun, Marcel," she laughed.

"I don't have a weapon."

The Nord groaned as he paused cutting the webs. Slowly, Vilkas turned to glare at Marcel. He shook his head in disbelief, "Then what in Oblivion are you doing here?"

"Deciding if I'm going to kill you or not," Marcel said with a shrug. "My ankle's still out too."

Vilkas only muttered quietly to himself while Valleri pushed Marcel out of the way. The webby netting gave way with a slick, squishy noise. Almost immediately, the spiders were upon them, clambering over each other to get through the door. Valleri ran past Vilkas to meet the first spider. She drove her sabre into it with a yell. Squealing, the spider reared backwards and landed on the floor with a thud. The remaining spiders screamed and came at the trio faster. Panicked, Valleri lost her footing and smacked her head hard against the wall. In only a few moments the spiders would be upon her.

Without another moment wasted, Vilkas banged the pommel of his own sword on the stone wall. The loud ringing noise reverberated around the room, calling the spiders' attention to him. In only a few fell swoops, the remaining spiders lay in a dead heap at the Nord's feet. He was breathing heavily as Marcel helped Valleri up.

"You okay, Val?"

The Imperial rubbed the back of her head with a grimace, "Yeah, yeah. For the most part."

"You think that's all that's in here, Companion?" Marcel asked, sidestepping the arachnid corpses.

"Should be it. At least, the last of the tangible beings we'll have to fight.'

Valleri furrowed her eyebrows, "Tangible?"

Vilkas didn't say anything for a moment. All of sudden he became increasingly aware of the head in the bottom of his sack. Valleri only looked at him expectedly. "I don't actually know what's gonna happen when we get to the last burial chamber. A lot of the older Companions said something about the original five hundred coming back to life if anybody ever made it to Ysgramor's burial chamber."

Valleri's lips curled into a smile. "Oh, that's fun."

"Fun? Are you crazy?" Marcel questioned with a grimace.

The Imperial shook her head, "It was a jest, Marcel. You've got to take this sort of job with a sense of humor. Maybe that's why the Silver Hand and the Companions haven't made a lot progress recently. You guys take everything so seriously."

The Breton looked over to Vilkas, face drawn out in an offended stare. Vilkas nodded his head, "She's got a point."

…

The trio hit another dead end. Half an hour passed by and neither Marcel nor Vilkas could find any sort of passage way, secret or otherwise. Valleri helped in the search at first before her head started spinning. It took almost three minutes of arguing before Vilkas convinced her to sit down on a dusty, old bench.

By now, Marcel was on the bench too, checking to see how well his ankle held up over the last few hours. The man's foot was swathed in purple and Valleri frowned when she saw how swollen it was. When Valleri questioned him about the pain, Marcel shrugged it off. Apparently, he was stupider than she originally thought.

The Imperial eyed Vilkas from across the hallway. The Nord was still searching for any sort of pull chain or lever; anything that might open a passage forward. She sighed. "Hey, Vilkas?"

He hummed, barely audible.

"Take a break for a moment," Valleri suggested. She watched Vilkas turn to look over his shoulder. His eyes were tired and any determination she saw in them earlier was waning. He didn't say anything. Valleri held out a hand, "Come on. Marcel will move over."

Reluctantly, Vilkas did as was told and sauntered over to his friends. He sat on the ground in front of Valleri, taking her hand and placing it on his shoulder. Sighing, Vilkas muttered quietly, "Maybe you're right, Marcel."

"Huh?"

Vilkas tilted his head onto Valleri's thigh. "Maybe we can't make it any farther. Ysgramor would have had this place locked down."

"Vilkas…"

The Nord continued, disregarding the sad look he was getting from Valleri. "Honestly, I should have expected that in the first place. It's amazing we even got this far with so little resistance."

Valleri rubbed Vilkas' shoulder for a moment. Her eyelids fluttered closed and she leaned her head back against the stony wall, "It wasn't bad to hope though. Kodlak wouldn't be mad; you gave it your best shot."

Marcel groaned, "That's right. That's what you two were doing here."

"You've got the worst memory don't you Marcel?" Valleri questioned with a smirk. The Breton shrugged with indifference before going back to his foot.

Vilkas grumbled, grabbing tighter onto Valleri's hand. "It doesn't change what happened to Kodlak though. He's still going to Hircine's Hunting Ground. He didn't want that."

"He'd appreciate the thought."

"I feel like a bad son."

Valleri scowled, opening her eyes to look at the back of Vilkas' head. "I can't change what you're feeling now, Vi. But I know for a fact that Kodlak understands that you had his best interests in mind 'til the end." She paused, breathing out sharply, "In my book, that doesn't make you a bad son."

Vilkas didn't say anything further and Valleri went back to resting her eyes. If she wasn't careful, she was going to fall asleep. It was surprisingly warm this deep in the tomb. Valleri cracked an eye open one last time before catching sight of a strange shape poking out of some moss across the way. Valleri almost dropped Vilkas when she got up to the bench.

From out of the stonework was a small button, well hidden by the moss. The iron was rusted over for the most part, but Valleri attempted to push it anyways. In moments, the hallway began to rumble. Vilkas' eyes went wide as he rose to meet her. Marcel clung to the bench behind them, satisfied to stay put. The rumbling steadily increased as a portion of the wall moved out of place, revealing a tunnel caved into the bed rock.

"Looks like you can do more for your Harbinger now that we found the way through," Marcel said, coming up behind the two Companions.

Valleri looked up at Vilkas from the corner of her eyes. The Nord could only look forward in disbelief. Finally, she smirked and gave his hand a tight, short squeeze. Vilkas gulped before walking forward. Valleri could only follow


	59. Chapter 59

Vilkas was hesitant to enter the tunnel. He could feel Valleri and Marcel's eyes on him, making him go cold. They were both expecting him to move. He was expecting himself to move. Vilkas had to admit that he didn't exactly feel right continuing on through the tomb. Especially after reminding himself of his trip to Driftshade. Marcel was a living reminder of that particular mark of shame. Was it really okay for him to be here?

Letting out a sigh, Vilkas finally started forward, one foot in front of the other. He had no idea why he was so nervous in the first place. The decapitated head in the bottom of his pack grew heavier with each step. Eventually, the only way to keep the feelings of inadequacy down was to not think at all.

"Vilkas wait up for a moment!"

The Nord stopped suddenly, furrowing his eyebrows. "What is it?"

Valleri and Marcel were lagging behind. The Breton was trying to keep his weight off most of his bad ankle, steadying himself on the wall. Valleri frowned as she addressed Vilkas, "You gotta slow down. Marcel's ankle isn't doing too well."

"Apologies," Vilkas muttered. He waited quietly for Valleri and Marcel to catch up. "Are you holding up too, Val?"

She shrugged indifferently. "I'm fine," Valleri said sharply. Vilkas took a step back as she and Marcel shuffled on ahead of him. Every few steps he could see Valleri pause for only a moment, catch her breath, then continue. She said she was fine, but Vilkas knew otherwise. He wasn't going to say anything, much against his better judgment. Vilkas knew she'd just pester him to let her keep going.

It wasn't long before the tunnel opened up into the next set of chambers. The grandeur of the previous rooms was still present; another large staircase took up most of the room, leading to what Vilkas assumed was the actual burial chamber. Coffins and ceremonial braziers lined the stair case. The room wasn't lackluster per se but the eerie quiet around them made it feel empty.

Valleri must have noticed it too. The Imperial shot Vilkas a quick glance before moving next to him. Marcel didn't say anything and only sat down on the stairs. The Breton didn't look so good. Vilkas took another quick look around before turning to face his friends.

"You two stay here. I'll go ahead."

"Repeat that?" Valleri snapped, expression turning into a snarl.

Vilkas stared at here blankly. "Valleri, you guys aren't holding up well. I don't know what's gonna happen when we get the burial chamber."

"That hasn't stopped me before, Vilkas." Valleri paused for a moment before continuing, "I may have not been raised by Kodlak, but… I see just as much obligation to see this through!"

The Nord sighed, crossing his arms. "No, just no."

"Yes!" Valleri yelled before she blinked and started falling backwards. Instinctively, she grabbed onto Vilkas for support. In another moment, Valleri took a deep breath and regained her composure.

Vilkas scowled, "See?"

"I'm fine, Vilkas, okay? I just got a dizzy spell is all," Valleri retorted. "I just can't leave you to finish this up by yourself. That feels," The Imperial paused, taking another deep breath, "it feels wrong somehow."

"This isn't some sort of life or death contract sort of thing. There's no need to push yourself so far. Besides I don't think Marcel wants to go any further and someone should keep an eye on him."

Valleri's curt expression didn't change. "You can't speak for Marcel."

Rolling his eyes. She had a point. Vilkas addressed the Breton behind Valleri, "Hey, Marcel?"

"What?"

"How do you feel about moving on?"

Marcel sighed and grimaced, "Like to the next room?"

"Yeah."

"No, I'm good here. Thanks," Marcel answered. He flopped back onto the steps with a thud and closed his eyes. Vilkas turned back to Valleri and tilted his head.

The Imperial could only roll her eyes, "Be honest Vilkas. Is this just because you only now realized how personal this actually was?" She paused for a moment to wait for the Nord to answer. Vilkas didn't know what to say. He breathed out slowly and rubbed his eyes with a sigh. Valleri continued, "You could have just said so. I'm not going to judge you for needing a bit of space to go through this."

He rubbed the back of his neck and frowned. "You got it in one guess, didn't you?"

"Because I think I know what you're going," Valleri said with a smirk.

Vilkas gulped nervously and mustered a small smile. He gently rubbed the top of Valleri's head, eliciting a frown from the woman. "Stay here then?"

Again, Valleri rolled her eyes. "Yeah, sure. I'll watch Marcel. Make sure I don't actually have a concussion and what not." She paused, pointing menacingly at the Nord, "But, if I hear any sign of trouble, I'm gonna come rushing in. Got it?"

"I wouldn't have expected otherwise."

Valleri turned her back and started towards Marcel. She shot him one last smile before sitting down, "I'll see you in a bit then."

Vilkas, still a bit apprehensive, only nodded his head and went ahead.

…

Vilkas wasn't sure what he was expecting when he reached the burial chamber. It wasn't that he was disappointed, but he wasn't surprised either. Compared to the rest of the complex, this room was much more spartan.

The chamber was circular in shape with a basin in the middle of the room. That didn't catch his interest though. Instead, Vilkas could only focus on the structure in the distance ahead of him. It was a sarcophagus, kept safe with a cage of steel bars and decorated with old lichen. Tentatively, Vilkas approached, eyes wide with awe.

The founder of the Companions, or Nordic Skyrim for that matter, may have not actually been right in front of him, kept safe by the steel bars. But Vilkas was content enough to think the old hero was there.

"So, you're the one to show up? I can't say I'm surprised."

Vilkas whipped around as soon as he heard the voice. Behind him, standing next to the basin, was a wispy, translucent figure. His lungs seemed to constrict when Vilkas immediately recognized who it was.

Kodlak laughed loudly, throwing his head back, "You look as white as ghost, boy!"

At first, Vilkas couldn't find the words to respond. He could only stare at Kodlak with wide eyes. "What a horrible joke," Vilkas retorted finally, expression melting into a disappointed frown. He walked up to Kodlak reluctantly. He couldn't believe the Harbinger was here, dead or not.

"I was starting to think you people forgot about me. Humor may be the best way of dealing with this particular situation."

"If it helps, I guess." Vilkas paused for another moment before moving to the basin. "How long have you been here?"

Kodlak shrugged and went to Vilkas' side, "Who's to say? I think I woke up here shortly after I died. From what I can recall, it looked like messy business."

"It was a shock when I got there… I may have snapped."

"Snapped?"

Vilkas felt himself go heavy as he recollected his thoughts. "I'm ashamed to admit it. I killed most of the Silverhand after you died. I went into a blind rage when I saw that you died. The others tried to stop me and I nearly killed Valleri. Feeling horrible wouldn't begin to describe how I feel about it."

"Why in the world would you do that?" Kodlak asked with a look of absolute befuddlement.

"I can only describe it like switching over, just more violent somehow. There's no excuse. None at all."

A look of grim acceptance came to Kodlak's face, "I suppose you're doing what you can to make up for it?"

The younger, living Nord rolled his eyes, "I wouldn't be a Companion if I didn't." He paused momentarily, taking a moment to approach the basin. "I came here specifically to see if your werewolf cure would work. Seemed like the best place to start."

"Ah, right…" the old man trailed off.

"You know more than I do," Vilkas continued, glancing at Kodlak from the side. "How does this work?"

"Toss the head into the basin and light it on fire."

Vilkas narrowed his eyes. "That's it?"

Kodlak sighed, "No. You'll just have to let the magic do its work. The spirit of my wolf form will probably attack you. But killing it should do the trick."

It all seemed too simple. Vilkas gave Kodlak one more glance before riffling through his bag. He tossed the head into the basin with no ounce of ceremony. "Let's hope this works," he muttered as he lit a match and tossed it in. The head suddenly burst into blue flame, causing Vilkas to jump back.

The room went oddly dark. Vilkas turned his head to see if Kodlak was still there. Unsurprisingly, the old Harbinger was nowhere to be seen. Instead, the sounds of light footfalls reverberated around the room at an easy, lazy pace. Instinctively, Vilkas spun around the room to see where the noises were coming from. Again, nothing was there.

Like lighting, Vilkas felt an animal jump onto his back and go for his neck. Snarls filled his ears. Vilkas wasted no time in grabbing the animal's front paws and hefting it over his head. With a fluid movement, Vilkas used his momentum to toss the animal across the room.

The Nord was able to unsheathe his sword as the wolf got up from the ground. In only a few moments, the wolf was already running towards him. The Nord yelled as loud as he could as he took a swing at the wolf. The blade connected with the wolf's side much to Vilkas' satisfaction. Again, the swing sent the wolf flying.

Heart pounding against his chest, the Nord rushed towards the animal, arms raised high over his head. The wolf was still trying to get up from the ground when he noticed. Its face contorted into an ugly snarl as it watched the Nord charging it. Vilkas grinned wildly when he felt the blade connect, sinking into the wolf's insides.

The creature howled in pain and started crawling off towards the back of the room. Vilkas felt no hurry. He stalked it slowly and held his sword low towards the ground. The Nord looked down at the wolf and a feeling of cold nothingness washed over him.

Vilkas imagined that he would have felt angry.

But there was just nothing.

The wolf screamed one last time as Vilkas brought the sword down its neck. He let go of the grip and stepped back. The sword landed on the ground with a clatter.  
He still felt empty, but at least it was over with.

"That wasn't your best work."

Vilkas turned around to see that Kodlak was back. The old man was grinning widely. Maybe it worked. "How do you feel?"

"Well," Kodlak paused, "I do feel a bit lighter, less paranoid. Perhaps it did. I can't really tell until I finally pass over to Sovngarde."

Vilkas grimaced, "That doesn't make me feel any better."

"I suppose not."

"Well," Vilkas paused, gesturing towards the room around them, "Aren't you supposed to disappear now? Something like that?"

Kodlak paused and looked around the room. "I suppose so. Are you going to wait here for the time being?"

"May as well," Vilkas said. He sat down next to the basin and leaned his head back. "I didn't realize how exhausted I'd feel after this. Maybe Valleri had a point."

"So, the Imperial is here with you?"

"Yeah, I asked her to wait outside. I think she has a concussion."

"It seems she hasn't changed much. Is Farkas doing well too?"

Vilkas hummed affirmatively, "He and Ysolda got married not too long ago."

A smile came to Kodlak's face again, "That's wonderful. I'm glad the two of them are together. they make fine couple."

"That they do."

"Is there a new Harbinger?"

Vilkas breathed out sharply, reluctant to reply. "None of the Circle wanted to do it and no one else seemed qualified. We all agreed that the Harbinger would show up eventually. There's no rush to it, right?"

"You're absolutely right. The Companions seem to be doing fine. To be honest, I was expecting the worst."

The younger man laughed bitterly, "I'll let the others know."

Kodlak shook his head, "Please don't. If any one of them believed you, they'd probably barge in here to complain."

"You know, I won't say much about what happened. I'll probably just mention it to Aela and Farkas and that'll be that."

"Good lad," Kodlak murmured. "Do you remember the last time we talked before I died?"

Vilkas narrowed his yes, "Vaguely. Why?"

"It doesn't matter too much, I guess. Vilkas, you're brash and hot tempered and get ahead of yourself too often. Sometimes you go off without thinking about the people around you. But at least you're making an effort. Most people never do. So, don't get too down about what's happening." The old ghost looked wistfully towards Ysgramor's sarcophagus. "It's time."

Vilkas sighed. Suddenly his arms and legs felt heavy. He hated it, but still, Vilkas muttered a few quiet words. "I'm glad it worked then."

"Yes." The Harbinger turned towards Vilkas one last time, lazy grin over his face. "One last thing before I go, Vilkas."

"Yeah?"

"Get yourself clean. You're not meant to be werewolf. You'll start feeling better once you get yourself cleansed."

Vilkas pulled his legs close to his chest and frowned. He didn't say anything as he watched the ghost walk off a few more steps and begin to disappear. Kodlak's form dissipated like fog and in moments Vilkas couldn't see him at all.

The Nord's eyelids suddenly felt very heavy. Perhaps he was more tired than he realized. Vilkas didn't realize his eyes had closed until he was about to fall asleep.

Maybe a few minutes of rest wasn't so bad?

…

"Vilkas. Vilkas!"

It was the shaking that woke him up. He groaned in protest, keeping his eyes closed.

"Come on, you oaf!"

The hand grasping his shoulder tightened. Again, Vilkas only groaned. He wasn't going to get up for anything.

"Dibella's breath, this isn't funny anymore, Vilkas."

The intruder slapped him across the cheek. Finally, Vilkas cracked an eye open. Valleri was kneeling above him, concern written all over her face. The Nord did feel a tad bit guilty for just lying there.

The Imperial sighed, "Gods, I was worried about you."

"What for? I'm fine."

Vilkas watched as Valleri's face contorted into a scowl. "Marcel and I heard yelling then this crash. When I went to check, the door was locked." She paused, looking back over her shoulder. "I had to pick the lock!"

Sitting up straight, Vilkas mustered a tired grin. "Look, Val, I'm fine. Nothing's wrong."

"You mean it?"

"Yeah."

She paused, narrowing her eyes. "The cure worked then?"

Vilkas could only nod his head before rubbing his eyes. The room was brighter than he remembered. The smile on Valleri's face was brighter still.

"It worked! It fucking worked!" Valleri's smile softened as she helped Vilkas up. "Does this mean we can go home now?"

Vilkas rolled his with some amount of fond exasperation. "Yeah, sure. Why not?"

…

Aicantar almost missed it. Yeah sure, he knew where the pages were from and who wanted them translated. Aicantar was smart. But he almost missed it. Maybe it was because he didn't translate anything in order and that he was just busy with other stuff.

He wasted in no time running down to Calcelmo's work station by the ruins. Guards yelled at him as he ran into them and the courtiers looked at him with confusion.

"Uncle!"

The old Altmer only regarded his nephew with annoyance. "What is it now, Aicantar?"

"Fire me. Now, quick!"

"What?"

"Fire me. Kick me out of the laboratory! I don't care what you do, just hurry!"

Calcelmo turned to look at him, face contorted into a frown. "Slow down, boy. Explain yourself properly."

"The Thalmor and Valleri! It's all starting to make sense now," Aicantar shouted. He glanced around the cavernous room with a paranoid glint in his eye before turning back to Calcelmo. "They think Valleri's dead. I could tell her and they wouldn't even know."

"What did the Thalmor want with Alastaros' apprentice?"

"They want to start another war."

Calcelmo prompted Aicantar to pause again. "Everyone knows that, Aicantar. Tell me something I don't already know."

Aicantar gulped nervously. "If the I tell Valleri where her necklace is before the Thalmor finds out she's alive or where it is, she could prevent another war."

"You sound like a mad man. Where did you get this idea?"

The younger Altmer slapped his face with disappointment. Of course, Calcelmo didn't remember. "Those papers Ondolemar gave me. They're pages of an old diary. One of the Falmer who helped hide the necklace wrote them. This woman was one of the last people to see it!"

"Rather exciting discovery, Aicantar. How'd those Thalmor people get a hold of it?"

"I told you already. Cyrenial followed us to Mzinchaleft then almost killed Valleri."

"Oh right," Calcelmo trailed off. He glanced back at the machinery he was working on and continued. "You know if this Cyrenial fellow is really part of the Thalmor and is seriously tracking this artifact down, he'll want results. He wouldn't just send off his only copies of the source material to another person if he wasn't sure he'd get the information he needed."

"I know. That's why I have to get out of here. And I want you to exile me or whatever it is so you don't get involved more than you have to."  
Calcelmo shook his head. "No, no. The Thalmor would question me anyways. That doesn't mean I don't think you should take this information to your friend"

Aicantar narrowed his eyes, "Well, what then?"

"Copy down what you know and leave the rest up to me. Go find this necklace and what not. Make archeological history."

"Are you sure you can give us enough time to get the necklace?" Aicantar questioned.

His uncle shrugged. "I've dealt with worse. Go on, get your copies and go. I don't want to see until you're on some sort of government watch list."

"Okay, fair. But I really don't want this tracing back to you."

"I'll be fine."

"Uncle!"

"Fine," Calcelmo relented. "Since you're being strangely insistent, you're fired. Never come back. just remember to not tell your mother. She'd have my skin and I have enough problems as it is."

Aicantar felt himself grin. "Pleasure working for you, uncle!"

The old Altmer grumbled in response. Aicantar was sure he wouldn't get much more of response. Instead of wasting more time, he went back up to the old tower to start transcribing the diary. Excitement was building in his chest, a feeling Aicantar hadn't felt in a long time.

Finally, he was a part of something bigger than he'd ever hope for. Valleri would ecstatic when he told her the good news. Hopefully Calcelmo would hold up his end of the bargain.


	60. Chapter 60

Valleri never felt so relieved to see Whiterun. The city was right in front of them, still standing where she left it. Whiterun wasn't on fire and an invading army wasn't parked right outside of the main gate. Instead, the surrounding plains were green and lush again. The carpet of green was dotted with purple and yellow flowers. After the long winter months, the sudden burst of color put a smile on Valleri's face.

The Imperial glanced over to the two men next to her. Marcel was having the time of his life with the makeshift crutch he found. Small twigs were poking into his side and a look of general discomfort hadn't left his face for hours. Vilkas on the other hand looked like a weight was lifted from his shoulders. Valleri rarely ever saw him quite this light looking.

Vilkas turned back to Marcel, "You remember Whiterun, right?"

"Not at all," the Breton replied. "Mostly because I've never been here."

"I thought you said you were a part of the Silverhand?" Valleri added.

Marcel grimaced as he accidentally put too much weight on his bad foot. He breathed out sharply through his nose then answered in a low tone. "Just because I was a member of the Silverhand doesn't mean I was there when they raided your musty boat. So, when I say I didn't murder your father, I mean I didn't murder your father."

Valleri watched Vilkas roll his eyes. Maybe the Nord wasn't completely over the weird feud he'd gotten into with Marcel, but who could really blame him? Valleri wasn't okay with what happened to Alastaros so she hardly expected Vilkas to stop grieving for Kodlak. That was going to last years.

But she did have to admit the entire thing was just so silly.

"Well anyways, what are you gonna do now?" Valleri asked in an attempt to dispel some of the animosity.

He sighed and paused, "Who knows? Apparently, I have some family in High Rock. I could always go there."

"Why'd you join the Silverhand anyways?" Valleri asked as the trio finally made it to the first gate.

"I dunno. I was with the Vigilantes up in the Rift. Old Skinner was looking for new recruits and it seemed more exciting than staring at a giant bonfire all day," Marcel muttered, staring pointedly ahead.

Vilkas grimaced, "Seems like a bad idea to join an organization on a whim."

"Well, you joined the Companions just because you grew up with it," the Breton retorted.

Valleri frowned as they passed the main gate. She bit her tongue and glanced over to Vilkas. The expression on the Nord's face was sour. A tinge of guilt ran through her before Valleri opened her mouth to speak. "Hey, Marcel? Why not just stay in Whiterun for a bit?"

Vilkas' head whipped around to face Valleri with a look of betrayal. Valleri rolled her eyes with exasperation. Marcel obviously noticed their interaction. "What makes you think the Companions would welcome a stranger into their ranks."

He waited for an answer from Vilkas but scowled when he found none. Valleri's gaze fell to the ground in front of her, "You'd be surprised who they let into Jorrvaskr." The Imperial glanced over to Vilkas with a grin. "Me for example. I've only been a Companion for hardly a year and I only found myself there by chance."

"That," Marcel paused, grimacing, "that does not make me feel better in the slightest. On another more immediate matter, where can I get my foot checked out?"

Vilkas sighed, "Temple of Kynareth. Ask for Danica. She's a sharp womn but good at her job."

Valleri regarded the Nord with wordless surprise. Shrugging momentarily, a smile came to Vilkas' face as the two of them left Marcel to his own business.

"You're growing soft," the Imperial muttered.

Vilkas furrowed his eyebrows. "I am not. Giving someone directions is not a sign of going soft. Anyways, we're home finally."

"Good thing too. I have to start on those documents. You brought back so many I'll be translating for weeks."

"I didn't know what would be important or not so I took all I could."

Valleri laughed, "In most cases, any old pages would be priceless, but well…"

"Time is sort of important," Vilkas finished. He held the door into Jorrvaskr open, waiting for Valleri to go inside first. He almost ran into her, not realizing that the Imperial had stopped in her tracks. He craned his neck to look over Valleri. "What in Oblivion?"

The room was covered in stacks of paper and scrolls. Books lay open on the table. If Vilkas looked closely, he could make out a massive ink spill on the table. Towels were piled up around the mess, stained black with old ink.

"Has this placed turned into a library?" Vilkas murmured half to himself.

"I'd sooner say Jorrvaskr was robbed," the Imperial answered. In seconds, Valleri felt her heart start pounding as she remembered the documents in the basement. She started out into a sprint, rushing past the mess on the table.

"Wait, Valleri!"

The Imperial disregarded Vilkas as she continued running. She slowed somewhat as she approached the shared bunkroom. Someone was riffling around in the back corner where she slept. In only a few moments, Valleri came to a halt and unsheathed her sword. "Stop!"

The figure kneeling on the floor screamed and looked up to her. Valleri would have made a killing move had the noise not startled her. She was glad that she hesitated when she recognized the face looking at her. He got up in a fluid motion and grabbed her by the shoulders.

"Valleri! Why weren't you here earlier?" Aicantar yelled.

The Imperial woman couldn't find the words to answer, still in shock to find the elf going through her possessions.

"Hey, Valleri. Aela said there was a strange Altmer that barged in here earlier." Vilkas called as he came into the room. His eyes went wide as he saw Aicantar. "I guess that's the elf."

Valleri pushed out of Aicantar's hold and stepped back. "Aicantar, what are you doing here?"

"I swear I have a good explanation for this!" Aicantar paused to take a breath, face grim. "I know how you can prevent the war!"

…

Valleri leaned against the support pillar with her arms crossed. Aicantar was flitting about the table in an attempt to make the area look cleaner. Neither of them had said anything since first meeting. The Altmer was obviously unnerved, frightened even. She knew the look well.

"I thought you were supposed to be back in Markarth," Valleri muttered finally.

The Altmer laughed bitterly before turning to face her. His eyes were lined with red and the smile on his face was desperate. "Well I am. I was. But, uh, something came up."

She groaned. "You said that earlier, Aicantar. You can't just you know how to stop a war then leave me on edge like that." Valleri walked to Aicantar's side and pulled out a chair. "Now, sit down and tell me what's happened."

The smile faded from Aicantar's face as he stared back at Valleri. She didn't move, only continued to stare at him through narrowed eyes. Aicantar relented with a sigh and took the seat. Valleri leaned against the table and muttered, "Well?"

"Look, do you remember how Cyrenial only took a few pages from Mzinchaleft before he ran away?"

Valleri felt her heart drop. "Yes." She paused, face melting a frown, "He didn't come back, did he?"

"Well, no. It's just about two weeks ago I got a commission from one of the Thalmor agents in Markarth for some translation work. He handed me the papers Cyrenial took and refused to give any background information on where he got them," Aicantar explained. He paused, watching Valleri open her mouth to say something but losing the words. "Look, hardly anybody knows that I can translate Falmer, much less the Thalmor. Except Cyrenial."

"I'm not saying you're wrong," Valleri said softly, "but if it was actually Cyrenial…"

Aicantar rose from the chair with a clatter and slapped his hands onto the table top. Valleri flinched at the sudden movement. "It was Cyrenial! He's the only one of those bastards that knows! I don't know why you're being so iffy about this, Valleri."

"Because I'm not ready to face what happened!" Valleri exclaimed after a tense moment, rising from her spot on the table, expression contorted into a snarl. "You weren't there when he set off that centurion and got Alastaros killed! How dare you assume anything is okay after my father was killed by some maniacal son of a bitch all for some stupid piece of jewelry!"

The Altmer didn't say anything for a moment, steely eyes still locked on Valleri. He shook his head slowly, "You can't blame me for that. Just because I wasn't in the room with you doesn't mean it left no mark on me. Yeah, I get that it hurt you the most but it hurt me too."

Valleri dropped like a weight had been placed on her shoulders. Aicantar was right. Sighing, Valleri shook her head, "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that."

"Damn right." Aicantar breathed sharply through his nose and sat back down. "Honestly, maybe I shouldn't have been so harsh either."

"Well now what?"

Aicantar brushed the stray hairs out of his face. "Do you remember which book Cyrenial got his paper's from?"

Valleri furrowed her eyebrows in a desperate attempt of recollection. "Not really, no. I was bit focused on other details. Though now, it's too foggy."

"I guess I can't blame you for that."

"Actually, that brings up a good point, Aicantar," Valleri interjected with a frown.

"Oh?"

Valleri gestured to the stack of papers next to her friend. "If you know where the necklace is then why're you asking for my documents?"

Aicantar's eyes went wide for a moment as he stared at Valleri. "Oh right. That is a good point. But you know that general pattern where a book might just prattle on and on and on before you find anything useful?"

"Like you're doing right now?"

"Yeah. Well anyways, I learned the general idea of where it is. I can only assume the rest was written in another part of the book."

"I would have thought the same thing," Valleri agreed. She picked up one of the scattered papers. She tossed it back on the table when she found it was one of Lexius' old guide notes. "Another question before I forget, but do you have the original pages with you?"

"What? No. I left them with Calcelmo."

Aicantar paused and watched as the Imperial furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. "The Thalmor aren't after you now too, are they?"

"Not at all!" Aicantar exclaimed, shifting back in his seat. "No, if anything I only left the notes in Markarth so they wouldn't think anything was wrong for a while."

"As soon as they realize you've gone, you'll be put on a watch list."  
Aicantar shook his head, "I'm sorry. When I found out I came straight here."

A soft smile finally came to Valleri's face as she put a hand on Aicantar's shoulder. "No, you didn't do anything wrong. Coming straight here was the best thing you could have done."

"That's great, but now what?" Aicantar paused, narrowing his eyes. He tapped the table top nervously, "We only have the idea of where the necklace is."

"Do you have a name at least?"

Aicantar breathed in sharply and stared hard at the stack of papers in front of him. "I do. It's in a place called Darkfall Cave."

…

Marcel cracked open an eye as he felt a heavy hand shake him awake. He smacked his head against the back wall when he finally decided get up. Groaning, Marcel leaned forward and held his head. "Damn it," he droned, finally looking up at the person who shook him awake. "Why in the world would you think it would be okay just wake up a person like that?"

Vilkas shrugged, "I'll let you know after you tell me why you're sleeping in a temple."

Marcel stared at the Nord pointedly. "I haven't had a good night's sleep in a few weeks at least. It was comfortable in here and no one was set on bothering me. A temple seems like the last place a killer would be lurking anyways."

"You'd be surprised. Valleri said something about the plague and then this is healing temple." Vilkas paused momentarily, glancing behind himself to the rest of the room. In a few moments, Vilkas took a seat next to him. "If there's one thing I've learned is that killers come in many forms."

"Way to be philosophical all of a sudden," Marcel muttered with a scowl.

"I guess."

The Breton's scowl deepened, "What are you even here for, Vilkas?"

"Who's to say? What are you doing for the rest of the day?"

Marcel sighed and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. "Probably stay here for the rest of the day. I'm planning on leaving tomorrow then you won't have to hide nor hair of me for the rest of your life."

"Well, that's on you." The Nord sighed, "I hope you don't mind sleeping in a closet."

The Breton furrowed his eyebrows, "Why?"

"Danica doesn't enjoy it when people who aren't patients stay too long. Don't ask me why."

"Well great." Marcel paused, taking in a sharp breath, "That ruins my plans."

"That's the way it always seems to work."

"Aye, it is," Marcel muttered, tilting his head to the side. He yawned and exhaustion seeped into his bones. If he wasn't careful, the Breton was going to fall asleep again. "May as well get as much rest as I can in the meanwhile."

Marcel glared at Vilkas from the side and wished the Nord would just get up and leave. He sighed in relief when Vilkas did get up, but then without warning, he turned to face Marcel. "Come on, let's go."

"What?" Marcel asked with narrowed eyes.

Vilkas gestured to the door, "I'll leave you here if you here if you really want to stay. But Danica will kick you out eventually and I have a feeling you'll just end up at Jorrvaskr anyways."

"I will not."

Vilkas started walking away without another word. Marcel smirked and rested his head back down on the wall. Closing his eyes, Marcel tried to fall asleep. Danica was walking around the back and Marcel couldn't help but feel a bit nervous when he heard her.

His eyes snapped open and Marcel leaned forward, rubbing the large lump on his head. Groaning, Marcel got up from the bench before walking out of the temple without another word. His joints tensed up as he crossed the plaza. The stairs leading up to the mead hall went on forever. He'd never been here before, but after his detour to Winterhold, Marcel couldn't help but feel oddly guilty for what had happened.

Marcel stopped short of the door. It didn't seem quite right going inside. Instead he went around the side path. The sounds of a conversation and arrows flying through the air alerted him to more people. Marcel kept close to the side of the building and watched.

Vilkas was watching a tall, red headed woman, talking to her about gods know what. The woman was focused on the targets in front of her, firing off an arrow every minute or so. Her aim was impeccable. Each arrow met its mark much to his surprise.

Suddenly, the two Companions looked over in his direction. An evil smirk came to Vilkas' face as he called out to the new comer, "So you did come after all."

Marcel narrowed his eyes and approached. The red headed woman turned around a grin came to her face. She laughed before Marcel could answer. "This is the person you ended up picking up? Gosh, first Valleri and now a Breton with a crutch."

"Well, Valleri did actually turn out to be worth it," Vilkas said, shrugging.

Marcel frowned as he glanced between the woman and Vilkas, "Wait a moment! What do you mean pick up?"

The Nord man rolled hie eyes. The woman now spoke to Marcel, "What's your name?"

"Marcel. That's not the point though!"

"Yeah, I guess not." The woman paused when Vilkas started to walk away. Marcel felt himself begin panic. The one person he knew in this entire town was now abandoning him and Marcel couldn't think of a good excuse to leave. Not that he had anywhere to go really. "Wait, you dolt. Where do you think you're going?" The woman called out.

Vilkas only waved his hand dismissively, "It looks like you've got Marcel covered. I'll see you later, Aela."

Marcel stared at the woman with furrowed eyebrows. There was an awkward pause before she started talking again. "Well, Marcel, what are you good at?"

"Excuse me?"

"Swords, axes? What?"

"None at all," Marcel stated.

The woman threw her head back with a cackle. "That's rich. Have you ever shot a bow before?'

The Breton's shoulder fell, "Not at all."

The woman all but shoved her bow into Marcel's hand and gestured to the target, "Give it a go, my friend."

"I'm good, honestly."

The smile on the woman's face turned serious, "Just give it a try. You'd be surprised how amazing it feels to land a hit."

Marcel shook his head and attempted to hand the bow back, "No."

"Well, how about this then?" the woman continued, clicking her tongue. "I'll bet you one hundred septims that you can't land an arrow within the second mark."

The woman's eyes continued to drill into marcel. He knew she was challenging him. Marcel's blood began to boil. First Vilkas and now her. He swiped the bow back and marched to the target. "You've got yourself a bet."

"Good," the woman said softly. Marcel tried his best to put her out of his head as he knocked an arrow. He let the arrow fly with a good amount of hope only to watch it fall short.

"I've seen better, but the heart was there."

"Oh, shut up. Give me another go and I'll get it," Marcel replied. The next arrow fell short again. This time the woman only laughed, but Marcel grumbled quietly and grabbed another arrow. Over and over again, Marcel kept missing. Eventually the woman went back inside. But Marcel was outside shooting by the time it was dark and the sun was under the horizon.

He wasn't going to lose this bet for anything.


	61. Chapter 61

Vilkas couldn't understand why he was so shocked to find the main hall of Jorrvaskr no different than day before. Valleri and Aicantar had been working into the night and Vilkas barely realized she climbed into the bed next to him. Her sleep had been fitful; The Imperial was tossing and turning all night. He could have sworn she kicked him hard in the back before she got up.

The ink spill was a faded memory on the table and the papers looked to be a bit more organized. But the hall still looked like a damned library. Valleri and Aicantar didn't notice him come in as they perused books and scraps of paper laid out on the table. The Altmer's face was covered in ink, resembling old Nordic tattoos.

He sighed and walked to the opposite side of the table and glared at the moth eaten journal the other two were reading, not saying a single word.

"Okay, this one doesn't say anything useful. Just a book of old recipes and such," Valleri mumbled, leaning back in her chair.

"Drat."

"Listen, I still think Darkfall cave is a recent name. I don't think the Ayleids would take one of their prized possessions to a place called Darkfall cave. It's not dramatic enough." Valleri paused only to mutter under her breath, "The Falmer I don't know about."

Aicantar tilted his head with a look o frustration over his face. "It's probably had hundreds of names since then. But Darkfall cave was the one mentioned in the papers."

"Fair point." Valleri finally looked up and addressed Vilkas, "Was this all the material you brought back?"

The Nord furrowed his eyebrows. "Brought back from where?

"Mzinchaleft."

"Yeah, I think. There might be more under my bed."

Valleri sighed exasperatedly, "We checked there already. Aicantar cleaned you out."

Vilkas scanned the table for a moment, noting how the entire surface was utilized for his friends' project. "You've certainly taken up the whole table. Are you two good in here?"

The Imperial let out a frustrated sigh and let her head land on the table with a thud. Aicantar panicked and grabbed an ink bottle before Valleri knocked it over. The Altmer sighed with relief as he set the bottle down on the opposite side of the table. Looking up at Vilkas, Aicantar tried to muster a smile, "Not absolutely horrible." He glanced over to Valleri, "I think we're hitting a wall."

"Oh?"

Valleri hummed affirmatively, lifting her head to meet the Nord's eyes. Her eyes were red and ringed with purple. Maybe her night was worse than he assumed. The Imperial huffed and flipped through another few pages. "Everything you brought back has been the most random stuff. Usually, I'd be ecstatic."

Shrugging, Vilkas took a seat next to Valleri. "Have you two eaten yet?"

"No, not yet," Valleri answered. She sighed and reached out for his arm, expression softening when their fingers interlocked.

Aicantar paid them no mind and coughed, "Neither have I. Is there anything here?"

Vilkas stole quick glance around the room, pausing only to watch Athis and Marcel walk across the room. "Probably not."

"I think I just want to go back to sleep," Valleri murmured, speech slurred. Vilkas gave her a quick rub on the shoulder and let her be.

He looked back at Aicantar. "Ysolda might be willing to make something for us."

"Which one is that again?"

The Imperial at Vilkas' side hummed, "His sister in law at the inn. Great lady."

Sighing, Vilkas rubbed Valleri's back again, "You should go back downstairs, get some more sleep."

"No," Valleri grimaced and paused. "Maybe. Fine, yes."

The Nord didn't waste a moment helping her out of her seat. They exchanged a tired look before Valleri laid her head on his shoulder and let out a deep breath. If she wasn't tired before, she certainly was now. Everything seemed to catch up to her as soon as Valleri stood up.

"I feel like we haven't gotten anywhere yet," Valleri mumbled.

Aicantar took a step closer to the couple, sheepish grin all over his face. "An hour or so wouldn't hurt. Besides, I need a break too."

Valleri glared at the two of them, "An hour but only that. No more."

"No more, no less," Vilkas answered with a smirk. Valleri only narrowed her eyes before walking down to the basement. The Nord turned back Aicantar, "Let's go. I'm pretty sure my stomach is trying to eat itself."

…

The Bannered Mare was empty, not surprising for so early in the morning. Besides most people in town stayed home if they needed food during the day. Still, Vilkas wasn't too keen on cooking and he was sure Aicantar could burn water.

The inside of the inn was bright enough to see by, but Vilkas couldn't find anyone in the first room. He thought that at least a few people would have filtered in by now or that the waitresses would have been here to clean up from the night before. Instead the Nord perked when he heard someone shuffling in the back room. He glanced over to Aicantar. The Altmer's eyes were wide; he heard it too. Vilkas gestured for the elf to stay quiet before peaking into the back.

He grimaced when he saw a familiar red headed woman shuffling around some barrels and crates. "Aela, what the fuck are you doing?"

"I could ask you the same thing, ice brain," the woman said without looking up. "It's not as if I brought another person with me either. I can smell your friend from across the building."

Vilkas sighed in frustration as Aicantar moved next to him. The Altmer's eyes narrowed as he looked Aela over, "I take it that's not Ysolda?"

There was a collective sigh before Vilkas reluctantly answered, "Gods, not at all. Aela's a Companion." He paused looked over his shoulder for a moment, "You haven't seen Ysolda though?"

"Afraid not. Why do you think I'm scrounging for food?" Aela crossed her arms with a smirk, "You can cook a bit right, Vilkas?"

The Nord groaned, throwing his head back in a sign or protest. Aicantar glanced between the two Nords before smiling at Vilkas. "Wait really? We don't have to wait for this Ysolda to show up to eat?"

Relenting, Vilkas rolled up his sleeves and went to the cabinets at the far end of the room. "Fine, fine. You guys win. But I'm gonna burn everything and feed you the scraps."

Aela grimaced and gave the Altmer a quick hit on the shoulder, "Our mutual friend is very unkind, don't you think?" Aicantar only mumbled in response.

"You're asking for more than I feel like giving," Vilkas retorted as he pulled out one of Ysolda's cast iron pans. "You think Ysolda would keep potatoes?"

"I would assume so. There were a few crates under the stairs I didn't check. They could be in there."

Vilkas rolled his eyes. Of course, Ysolda would ha some sort of complicated organization system in place. Aicantar and Aela started to chat while he rummaged around the storage space. The crates were filled with smaller packages, spices, and glass ware. Any actual food was probably elsewhere.

He watched Aela from the corner of his eye. The woman perked up, any sign of an easy smile left her face as she listened for whoever was about to join them. Vilkas paid no mind to it and continued his search for potatoes.

"Vilkas! What the fuck are you doing in my kitchen?"

The Nord looked up when he heard the familiar voice yelling at him from the doorway. Ysolda was glaring at him from the door way. Her hair was uncharacteristically unkempt, but she looked well considering he hadn't seen her in weeks.

He stared at her blankly, "Food. That's why I'm in here." Ysolda narrowed her eyes, glancing over to Aicantar and Aela. "To be fair, Aela was in here much earlier than I was," Vilkas added.

Ysolda sighed and pushed Vilkas put of the way, snatching the pan from his hand. "Now sit down and I'll cook. Why couldn't you three have just waited?"

"We were hungry," Aela protested.

Ysolda glanced back to Vilkas, "Sit down. Now." Vilkas didn't waste any time and took a seat. He watched as Ysolda went around the corner and came back with a platter of potatoes, leeks, and a bit of meat. "I honestly didn't expect you two to bring in elf either."

Aicantar perked up, ears turning red. "Aicantar's one of Val's friends from Markarth. He's helping us figure where some artifact is. I dunno, I'm kind of lost on the loop," Vilkas explained, trailing off at the end.

Ysolda didn't look up from the cutting board, but Vilkas could see a smile on her face. "Is that so?"

"Yes."

"Wait a moment!" Ysolda exclaimed, gesturing a knife next to Aicantar. "Are you the one who made such a mess Jorrvaskr? With the books?"

"Uh, yeah," the Altmer said sheepishly. "Honestly, sometimes that's the best way to work, you know? Having everything out in the open."

The three Nords exchanged a confused glance before they went silent. Ysolda put her ingredients into a hot pan and Vilkas could almost smell the potatoes and meat already. "What sort of artifact are you guys after anyways?"

"What?"

Ysolda looked up to see the confused face of Vilkas and Aicantar. "Valleri's mentioned this artifact off and on for months now. What is it?"

"Some sort of necklace. The Thalmor is after it too, so Valleri wanted keep things quiet." Aicantar paused, leaning back in his seat with a paranoid, wide eyed stare, "They were going after my uncle and I before I left Markarth."

"Probably for the best then," Ysolda muttered.

Aela spoke up, narrowing her eyes, "Where is she by the way? You two are usually joined at the hip."

"Back at Jorrvaskr. She didn't sleep last night," Vilkas explained, turning in his seat to face Aela. "Probably just thinking about stuff too much. I told her to get some sleep and I'd get her in an hour."

Aela hummed affirmatively, turning back to Aicantar. "How much longer is the main table gonna be covered in loose papers?"

"Until we figure out where we have to go."

"Which is?" Aela asked, arching her eyebrow.

"Well, have you ever heard of a place called Darkfall cave?" Aicantar asked.

"Can't say that I have." Aela glanced over to the other Companion, "Vilkas?"

He shook his head, "Neither have I."

"That's real helpful," Aicantar muttered half to himself.

"Didn't Kodlak have a whole bunch of old maps?" The trio stared at Ysolda. She let out an exasperated sigh and brought a plate of fried potatoes and meat to the table. Vilkas and Aela exchanged a dumbfounded look. "I thought you guys had maps or something? How else did you guys know where you were getting those fragments?"

Aicantar glared at Vilkas, "She has a point."

"Yeah, I know," Vilkas snapped. The Altmer didn't react and crossed his arms. "They're probably in a closet or something. We could look, but I'm gonna feel slimy doing it."

Aela laughed when Aicantar didn't stop staring at her friend. "Looks like you don't have much choice, Vilkas."

"Seems that way."

…

Valleri groaned as someone shook her awake. She tried to cling to the warm blankets, but whoever was trying to get her up was insistent. Sluggishly, Valleri sat up, still cocooned in blankets. The Imperial squinted at the figure next to her. Their grey eyes and dark hair were almost unmistakable.

"You're not Vilkas."

Farkas gave her a betrayed look, "Gods, I hope not. I have enough trouble being myself already."

"I can only imagine," Valleri gargled out. She rubbed her eyes for a final time, "How long have I been asleep?"

"Why should I know that? I only came in here to find Vilkas."

Valleri stared at Farkas for a moment longer, processing what was happening. "He left to find food and I went back to sleep." She stretched before getting up off the bed. Farkas followed Valleri as she went back up to the main hall.

"Seems like you're still in the middle of whatever it was you guys were doing."

Valleri breathed out sharply through her nose, scanning the table for any sign of tampering. Nothing seemed amiss, but Valleri was still a bit tired. "Yeah, we didn't get very far. Hey, Farkas?"

"What can I help with?"

"How good are you with place names?"

Farkas furrowed his eyebrows, "Not great, why"

Valleri turned to look at him, face still contorted into a tired grimaced, "Have you ever heard of Darkfall cave?"

The Imperial watched Farkas mull it over for a second. He stared at the ground for a moment before glancing back up and shaking his head, "Nope. Sorry."

Sighing, Valleri took a seat at the table and flipped through a few more loose pages. "No, it's fine. I figured it was a long shot anyways."

"Oh," Farkas paused for a moment before perking up, "You know who might have an idea? Farengar!"

"Who?"

Farkas gestured wildly with his hands, smile plastered all over his face, "The court wizard up in Dragonsreach." He stopped talking when he realized that Valleri was only staring at him. His face dropped, "Sorry, maybe it wasn't the best idea."

Valleri blinked a few times before waving her hands, "No, no. Not at all. It was a great idea. Do you think he'd be willing answer any questions?"

"Knowing Farengar," Farkas grimaced, "he's not going to be happy, but I've and asked him stuff all the time before."

Valleri paused for a moment, biting her lip, then clattered out of the chair. "Right let me get dressed, then we can go." Farkas didn't say anything, only being able to stare at Valleri as she sprinted downstairs. She didn't slow as she made her way to Vilkas' bunk room and gathered her clothes from the floor. Dressing only took a minute or two longer and Valleri was back upstairs in no time. Farkas was still waiting for her next to the door.

Their walk to the keep was silent and quick. At least it was warm and the climb woke Valleri up. Exhaustion still settled in her limbs. It didn't seem as though that was a thing she could take care of at the moment.

Dragonsreach was still as grand as Valleri remembered. She'd never been inside of the keep during the day, but never expected it to be so calm for once. The quiet emptiness suited the building much better than she would have anticipated. Valleri took a deep breath in and put the thoughts out of her mind. She followed Farkas into a side room, weaving around tables and the occasional servant.

A man in a long purple robe was sitting at a desk in the middle of the room, hunched over an old, dusty tome. The desk was covered in soul gems and salts. He didn't look up from the tome, but Valleri could see that his expression had soured. Valleri and Farkas continued to stand in the door way.

Finally, the mage relented with an exasperated sigh. He looked up with narrowed eyes, "What do you want now?"

A smile came to Valleri's face as she walked further into the room. "Do you know anything about old elvish ruins?'

"What? Is that what you're barging in here for?" Farengar snapped. He glanced over to Farkas with angry glint in his eye, "Of all the stupid, useless things! Elvish ruins? Who do you two take me for? Calcelmo of Markarth?"

Farkas and Valleri exchanged an awkward glance for a moment. Valleri took in a deep breath before stopping Farengar, "No, we just wanted to know if you knew where a certain place was. Nothing difficult."

Farengar eyed the Imperial suspiciously. He sighed and shut his book gently. Valleri's eyes followed a small dust cloud that floated upwards. "What place are you looking for? A ruin of some sort?"

Valleri furrowed her eyebrows, "I think? It was a place called Darkfall cave. The Falmer were there for sometime before they were enslaved by the Dwemer. I think. The timeline is a bit off."

Farengar tilted his head, "Do you mean Dark Water Passage? It's a Nordic ruin out east, got some Falmer in it."

"No, no, no," the Imperial retorted. "It was specifically a Falmer ruin. I'm looking for this place because the Dwemer didn't know where it was."

"You know what you're asking for is near impossible, right?"

"Listen, can you help me or not?" Valleri asked, voice sharp.

The mage plopped himself back into his chair, "Can't and won't. I know next to nothing about the Falmer."

Valleri rolled her eyes and turned around, "Come on Farkas. This was a waste of time. I shouldn't have expected anything." She could hear Farengar grumbling behind her. Valleri hadn't taken two steps before the mage called out after her. Spinning on her heel, a smirk grew on Valleri's face as she looked back at the affronted mage. "Yes, what?"

"I might know one or two things, fine? I'm not a complete fool just because ancient elves aren't my specialty."

Valleri and Farkas exchanged a triumphant glance. The taller Nord crossed his arms with the biggest grin he could muster, "What was your specialty again, Farengar?"

The mage's face turned an intense shade of red and he could only mumble a single word, "Dragons." Farkas tried his best to stifle his laugh as Farengar continued to seethe. "Anymore mocking jests, and I'll make sure you won't even remember what your ruin is called! Got that?"

"Yes, yes. We've got it," Valleri said, putting her hands up in an understanding gesture.

"Good, follow me," Farengar said as he pushed past Farkas and into the hall. Valleri gave her friend a pat on the arm as an apology. Farkas only shrugged indifferently. The mage led them up to the second level of the keep, past a few guards and into some of the back rooms. He stopped suddenly to unlock another door.  
Valleri held her breath when he revealed a small room. Books and scrolls were well organized in shelves and cabinets. A single, skinny window was placed at the back of the room, illuminating dust motes floating in the air.

The Imperial was too awestruck to speak. She hadn't seen a library this well managed in months. Farkas was equally impressed, "How long has this been here?"

"As long as I've been here," Farengar muttered. He turned to Valleri and began speaking, waving his arms around in the air wildly, "The only thing I vaguely remember about the Falmer is that may have fled towards the west as they were enslaved. I'm not sure if that helps you in any way."

Valleri shrugged, "Well, it certainly gives us a general direction. Got anything else for us?"

"I do actually," Farengar answered. "We've been keeping old maps in here. Some of them are kind of old, though I'm not entirely sure how far back they go. I'll leave you the key. Remember to lock up and give the key back before you two leave."

Her eyes went wide as Farengar dropped the iron key in her hand. Valleri turned to watch him as he left the room. "That was awfully nice of him," Farkas muttered.

"Right?" Valleri sighed before placing the key in her pocket. She stared up at the shelf and sighed. Rolling up her sleeves, she didn't hesitate to start reaching for some of the maps. Valleri handed them to Farkas with a grin, "We've got our work cut out for us, huh?"


	62. Chapter 62

The Altmer didn't realize he was being followed until it was too late. With a sigh, he made for a back alley. With any luck, his stalker would have been misled and he'd be safe. He stuck close to the wall and held his breath as he waited for the stalker to pass.

"Justiciar Cyrenial?"

The Altmer groaned with frustration, rubbing his face with his hand. He turned to look at his purple robed compatriot. He didn't recognize him. This one must have been one Ondolemar's new lackeys. Cyrenial answered him with a frown, "Yes, what?"

"Elenwen is in Markarth and is expecting you at Understone Keep."

Cyrenial felt himself go cold in an instant. He was only able to stammer out a few words, "You're not joking, are you?"

"Absolutely not. I saw her only a few minutes ago before you tried to run away. Shall I escort you now?"

The elf sighed, "I don't think I have much of a choice." The younger Altmer shrugged and waved for Cyrenial to follow him. With each step, the dread in the pit of Cyrenial's stomach grew. He tried to convince himself he wasn't too concerned. Even if Elenwen was going to try to report him to their superiors in Alinor, he was sure he could somehow talk his way out of this. He did it before and he could do it again.

Their walk up was slow and uneventful. Everyone around them seemed wholly unaware of what was bound to happen. That may have been for the best.

Cyrenial's heart rate spiked as the younger Altmer held the door open to the keep. The cavern like building opened out and he could see Ondolemar waiting for him in the back. Only when he approached him closer, did Cyrenial notice the anxiety in his face.

Cyrenial turned to his escort, "You can leave now."

"What?"

"I told you to leave. You're not wanted here," Cyrenial snapped.

The younger Altmer opened his mouth to protest before Ondolemar cut him off, "Cyrenial outranks us both. It would be wise to listen to him. Besides this something even I do not want to be involved. Please go back to your regular duties"

Cyrenial and Ondolemar watched the young elf leave before Cyrenial spoke again, "What have I been called here for?"

"I think we both know."

Cyrenial narrowed his eyes, "You didn't tell her anything, did you?"

"Like what?"

With a groan, Cyrenial waved his peer off, "Doesn't matter. I assume she is your office?"

"Yes, let's not keep Madame Ambassador waiting, shall we?" Ondolemar said, gesturing towards a hall behind him.

Cyrenial rolled his eyes and went on ahead of the Justiciar. Any of the nervousness he felt earlier was replaced with a bitter emptiness. He wasn't sure what was worse, but after talking with Ondolemar, Cyrenial found his ability to care gone. He opened the door to one of the back rooms with a flourish and put on a grin. May as well make a show of it.

"And so the Lady of the Thalmor graces us with her presence at last," Cyrenial laughed, placing his hands on his hips.

Elenwen rubbed her temples with a sigh. "Unfortunately so. You left me no choice. It has been three months since I heard anything form you and our superiors in Alinor are breathing down my neck for answers."

She wasn't nearly as angry as he expected, though perhaps not for long. Cyrenial arched an eyebrow, "And what did you tell them?"

"I have nothing to tell them Cyrernial. That is your job!" She paused, expression softening only a bit. "Well, what do I tell them, Cyrenial? "

Cyrenial sighed, "Tell them everything's fine. I'm getting some directions very soon and then we can get the necklace back to Sedor."

Elenewen exchanged a glower look with Ondolemar before glaring at Cyrenial again. "How long?"

"What?"

"How long have you been waiting for these directions?" Cyrenial felt himself falter again. His eyes darted to Ondolemar at his side. the Altmer only shrugged. Elenwen's eyes narrowed again, "The last report Ondolemar sent me concerning you was disappointing. First of all, the pages you came out of Mzinchaleft with were meager. And you almost killed Aicantar! I cannot condone killing a resource, no matter how tempting. How did you expect to get your documents translated?"

"Ask Ondolemar," Cyrenial shouted, crossing his arms. The younger Justiciar sunk closer to the wall in an attempt to remain unnoticed. Cyrenial only shook his head and continued, "He was the one who went to Aicantar, not I. I've been waiting weeks for results."

Elenwen looked past Cyrenial to Ondolemar, arching an eyebrow, "is this true?"

Ondolemar sighed relentingly. "It is."

"I told you to stop using my justiciars as your own people. How many times must I tell you that?"

"I'm working within the limits which have been set for me, Madame Ambassador." Cyrenial paused for only a moment, rolling his eyes, "Of course if I had support from the beginning, I may have been able to get all of this done much quicker."

There was a long moment of silence and Cyrenial felt himself grow tenser. Elenwen addressed Ondolemar again, "Both you and Cyrenial admitted that you sent Cyrenial's notes to this Aicantar boy. What is happening?"

Ondolemar gulped nervously, "They were given to Aicantar some weeks ago. We are still waiting for him to finish."

"Well, where is he? Go get Aicantar right now. I'm demanding answers."

'Right away, Madame Ambassador," Ondolemar muttered before leaving the office. Both Cyrenial and Elenwen refused to look at one another, finding places in the room to stare at. Cyrenial was getting impatient and wanted answers. But he didn't want to get them lime this. Not with Elenwen breathing down his neck and a chance of Calcelmo learning that Cyrenial almost killed his nephew.

It wasn't until ten minutes after that Ondolemar walked back in, followed by the annoyed court mage. Ondolemar found a place next Cyrenial and the both of the stuck close to the wall.

Calcelmo faced Elenwen with a frown. "Don't you realize I'm busy?"

"So are we, Calcelmo," Elenwen stated calmly, "Where is your nephew? I understand he was translating a set of documents for our mutual friend Cyrenial."

"Mutual friend?" Calcelmo blanched, "No, Cyrenial is not my friend, not in the least. But I did assign my nephew a special project translating some Falmer documents given to us by the Thalmor Justiciar in the corner over there."

"And where is your nephew now?"

Calcelmo shook his head, "He left almost more than a week ago."

"Why would you let him leave?" Elenwen exclaimed, eyes growing to the size of platters. Cyrenial shrunk back further. Calcelmo didn't move.

Sighing, the old Altmer stole a quick glance towards the door, "He isn't a hired thug. Aicantar can come and go as he pleases."

"Did Aicantar finish his task?"

"Yes, I believe he did."

Elenwen splayed her hand out, gesturing towards Calcelmo, "And where is the final product?"

"In his work space I would imagine." Calcelmo paused for only a moment, clicking his tongue, "This makes me wonder what you needed these documents for. I've heard it had something to do with the late Alastaros."

"Yes, Alastaros did pass on. A shame. But the exact information gained from those documents… is too important for you to worry about," Elenwen sighed.

"I'm not a person to go back on my word. I have no qualms handing the documents back to you whatsoever." Calcelmo turned his head to look over to the two Altmer by the wall, "However, I cannot condone the threats towards my nephew nor the senseless deaths of a colleague of mine and his assistants. I am a court mage in a city the Thalmor have no actual authority in. Keep that in mind the next time you ask me for favors, Cyrenial."

With that, Calcelmo left the office with a grumble. Elenwen glanced over to Cyrenial. "I was not aware that Calcelmo knew of what happened in Mzinchaleft. You are aware that this will only make our jobs harder from now on, right, Cyrenial?"

"Not for long, Elenwen. As soon as I have left for Sedor, you'll have no problems," the Altmer muttered, staring at the door Calcelmo walked out of. "However, this meeting will continue to weigh on me."

"Oh? Have you come to care for this band of dead treasure hunters as well? You grow too attached to your subjects. It's a wonder Alinor offered you another position in the first place."

Cyrenial felt himself grow cold. "Perhaps, but Valleri Alastarim was woman I could have come to respect greatly had I gotten to know her under different circumstances."

"What ever the case may be, I will have Ondolemar deliver the documents back to you this evening. I recommend that you leave town shortly after," Elenwen suggested, rubbing her temples.

"Yes, Madame Ambassador. That would be wise, wouldn't it?" Cyrenial mumbled as he turned to leave. As soon as he was out of earshot, he leaned against the cold stony wall and sunk to the floor. His limbs felt heavy as he thought back to his time in the ancient Dwemer city and the desperate look of the Imperial's face.

Maybe if things were different…

…

Valleri was relieved to see that the mess she and Aicantar had left earlier in the day was cleaned up for the most part. Books and loose papers were organized and piled on a smaller table. The ink spill was wiped away for the most part. Only a shadow of it was left on the wooden table top. Valleri felt a tinge of guilt over not cleaning it up herself, but the feeling faded quickly replaced by exhaustion

She was just tired. Her interrupted nap was more draining than she thought. Valleri sighed and gave Farkas a pat on the arm before leaving the Nord upstairs. With each step Valleri got closer to being able to fall asleep again.

The noise was barely noticeable until the Imperial was at the bottom of the staircase. There was a rustling at the end of the hall. Valleri strained her eyes and paused when she saw the figure in Kodlak's old office. Reluctantly, Valleri made her way further, passing the bunkroom with a tinge of disappointment. Her bed would have to wait just a bit longer.

The Imperial slowed as she neared the office. A tall figure was standing over the back desk, hunched over a large paper. Whoever it was didn't seem to notice her. Valleri was sure the figure was Aicantar. Maybe if she was quiet, she could turn around and return to the bunkroom without being questioned about what she was up to earlier.

"Oh, there you are."

Valleri stopped turning around only to see Vilkas come out of the spare bed room, scrolls tucked haphazardly under his arm. The Nord took a moment to place the scrolls on the desk next to Aicantar before addressing Valleri. "You weren't in the bunk room when we got back."

"Yeah, Farkas woke me up on accident."

Vilkas rolled his eyes, "Of course he did."

"Honestly, he didn't know," Valleri muttered with a shrug.

There was a quiet pause before Aicantar started complaining, "Vilkas, what are these?"

the Nord turned to stare at Aicantar over his shoulder. Valleri could see the annoyance all over his face and smiled. "I don't know! They're maps that had some Dwemer ruins on them," Vilkas groaned.

Aicantar turned away from the desk entirely. His face was contorted into a disappointed frown. He unfurled one of the scrolls and turned it towards the back. Valleri could barely make out small, black print in the corner. Aicantar pointed right to the words, "This was copied from another map made at the beginning of this era. It's not even two centuries old! This map is hardly relevant!"

Vilkas sighed, "You didn't check to see if your cave was on there?"

"I did! It's not on there! It's not anywhere!"

Vilkas took the map from Aicantar and scanned it over. Every one remained silent apart from an occasional yawn from Valleri. In another moment, Vilkas haphazardly tossed the map onto another table and rubbed his eyes, "This is getting ridiculous.

The Altmer tilted his head downwards, "We should take another break. We're not getting anywhere."

"Much agreed."

Valleri grimaced as she looked past Aicantar. After a second glanced, she could see several different maps sprawled out across the desk. "I should have asked earlier, but what are you two doing?'

Aicantar exchanged an uncertain glance with Vilkas before turning back to Valleri with purple ringed eyes. "We weren't finding anything in journals and apparently Kodlak had a whole bunch of old maps." The elf paused and shrugged, "Except, we're still not finding anything."

"Maybe we should go back to Winterhold?" Vilkas suggested. "The College may have what we're looking for."

"No," Aicantar countered, "We don't have enough time to travel halfway across the province. For all we know, my uncle could have already given the Thalmor their information."

"Well, this obviously not working, Aicantar. Do you have any other ideas?"

"No, but something's gotta give."

Valleri's hand went to her pocket as she listened to her friend's argument. The small piece of paper she was writing on earlier was still there. She'd almost forgotten about it. The Imperial looked up when she heard Vilkas call out her name. Her eyes went wide as she looked at him suddenly, "Yes?"

The Nord grimaced for a second then spoke, "I was asking what you were thinking. Are we going to continue to go through the journals?"

"In this case no." Valleri slipped the paper out of her pocket and held it up in the air. Aicantar and Vilkas regarded her with confusion. "While you guys were over here going through Kodlak's stash, I was in Dragonsreach with Farkas looking for any instance of Darkfall Cave."

Aicantar narrowed his eyes, "I assume you found something?"

"I think. At least I'm pretty sure I did," The Imperial bit her lip as she scanned the page, "There was an old abandoned cave near Deep Folk Crossing. There's some old Dwemer and Falmer building around apparently. The book was sort of old, but the name was an exact match." She paused again, glancing between Vilkas and Aicantar. Valleri arched an eyebrow, "Well?"

The two men exchanged a quick glance and a smirk came to Vilkas' face. "I don't see why not. It's more than we found."

"Aicantar?"

The Altmer threw his hands up in the air, but Valleri noticed fond exasperation in his expression. "I'm a tad disappointed I didn't figure this out, but I have no actual complaints in going to check. Time for another adventure, I guess."

"That's the spirit," Valleri laughed. She sighed and closed her for a second. She handed the paper to Vilkas. "We'll leave town in two days. I know this is probably true for each cave and ruin we go through, but I think there's a good chance we won't come back. But, hope for the best right?" Valleri muttered with a sleepy smile.

"Let's not think about that, right now," Vilkas answered.

Valleri took a quick look at Aicantar. He was staring hard at the ground with a look of horror on his face. Vilkas was probably right. The Imperial turned on her heel and waved before walking out of the office. "I'm going to bed. I can barely keep my eyes open."

Vilkas sighed and put a reassuring hand on Aicantar's shoulders, "She's just joking."

The Altmer looked up with wide eyes, "Gods, I hope so!"

…

Ysolda tried to take off a few hours during the evening each week form working at the Bannered Mare. She was confident enough in Saadia and Olfina to run the place in exchange for a nice bonus. Of course, she could only take the hours when the two waitresses were working. Ysolda wouldn't even think about leaving Mikkel by himself. She would have liked to have more faith in the bard, but letting him serve customers or make any food seemed like a bad idea.

But tonight, she was able to stay home. There was something calming about making food for herself. There absolutely no expectations from other people. Ysolda actually missed cooking for herself.

She paused when she heard the back door open and familiar figure in a heavy cloak walked in. A smile came to her face.

Well, she also just missed cooking for Farkas too. He wasn't always in town. Usually, he was busy taking care of contracts for the Companions. Since Kodlak's passing and the Battle of Whiterun, he'd become more serious about his work. Ysolda was proud of him, she always would be. But Ysolda hoped that at some point Farkas would focus on training and spend more time in Whiterun. It did make their time together a little bit more memorable though.

Ysolda paused chopping up some carrots and turned around to greet Farkas. She narrowed her eyes with a laugh, "What happened? You're all dusty!"

A confused smile came to the Nord's face, "Am I?"

"Yes!"

Farkas shrugged, "I was helping out Valleri. There was an avalanche of old books."

Ysolda continued cooking, "Sounds like a fun time. Can you get the plates out real quick?"

"What? Oh, yeah," Farkas muttered. He paused and looked up suddenly before turning to look at Ysolda over his shoulder, "I should have said something earlier, but I asked Vilkas to come over tonight."

"As in for dinner?"

Farkas nodded his head, "I hope that's not too bad."

A smile came to Ysolda's lips, "Not at all. I would say its been a while since I've seen Vilkas, but I saw him this morning. He's been gone for a while though."

"That's what I thought," Farkas muttered. He cringed for moment, "I feel a bit bad I haven't been paying attention to him."

"I wouldn't be too worried. He's got Valleri now."

The Nord paused and looked over to his wife, "Is that an actual thing now?"

Ysolda shrugged as she pulled a pan out of the hearth. "If it isn't, I'd be surprised. It's been a few months." Farkas didn't say anything as he watched Ysolda finish dinner. The smell of fresh food filled the room and Ysolda couldn't help be feel warm inside. In a few more minutes, dinner was done and Farkas got up from the table to bring the dishes in.

Farkas perked up when he heard the front door creak open. Vilkas looked around the corner with a frown, "You two should get a lock. Anyone can walk right in."

"I'm not very worried about that," Ysolda answered, rolling her eyes. "Even when Farkas is gone, I'm sure enough I could scare off a thief in need be."

Vilkas made his way to the table, "Just saying." He clattered into the chair and crossed his arms

Ysolda didn't speak further. Instead a smile grew on her face as she watched Valleri walk into her house. The Imperial's eyes were tired and heavy lidded while her hair was chaotically uncombed. The Nordic woman exchanged a confused glance with Farkas.

"You okay there, Val?" Ysolda asked. The Imperial only shrugged before taking a seat.

"Don't mind her, Ysolda. I woke her up a few minutes ago," Vilkas explained.

Valleri waved Ysolda off dismissively, "Yeah, don't worry about it. I'm fine. Still waking up is all."

"I hope you're awake enough to eat," Ysolda muttered.

Valleri closed her eyes and sighed, "I think I'm good for now. Thanks though."

"If you say so." Ysolda took the seat next to Farkas and looked over to Vilkas, "Did you ever find that cave you were looking for?"

The Nord shook his head, "Never did."

"That's unfortunate."

Farkas narrowed his eyes and gestured to Valleri across from him. "Wasn't that what we were doing in Dragonsreach?"

Valleri hummed affirmatively, "Yep. Apparently, they've been stashing books and maps in a back room in the castle nobody knows about." Valleri paused with a sigh, "That's what I forgot." Everyone at the table looked at each other for a moment in anticipation. The frown in Valleri's face deepened, "I forgot to return Farengar's key. Oh well."

Ysolda leaned back in her chair, "There's always tomorrow. Until then please eat. I don't want to have cooked all this food for nothing."

There was a moment of silence before any one reached for the food Ysolda prepared. But in a few moments the small house was filled with laughter and warmth. Ysolda didn't always have time to make dinner for everyone. But she had no problems making time.


	63. Chapter 63

Valleri let the wind buffet her back as she stared south towards the Jeralls. The wind was cold and sharp compared to an otherwise warm evening. Stars shone above her, bathing the landscape in blue. Red, hot fires lined the road leading back to the city. The sight of them provided little warmth.

Her eyes didn't move from the mountains far in front of her. She'd done this before. Staring towards home wasn't going to take her back there. The memories she recalled weren't the present and the comfort was always temporary. Still, whenever Valleri was in a mood, she felt drawn to the peaks.

Maybe one day, she'd find herself back there.

Grabbing her wrist, Valleri began to rub the inside of her palm. The pressure against her hand was real enough. The sensation was small reminder that the Imperial was far away from those mountains. Deep down, Valleri tried to convince herself that little sensation against her hand was comfort enough.

It wasn't as though she'd never see her home again. Anvil would always be there. In the meanwhile, Whiterun had taken her heart and run off with it. It stung, but the idea took it's time to settle comfortably in her mind. She fell in love with the tall mountainous peaks and the blindingly bright snow. When she first came here, she wouldn't have considered this place home in any sense.

Valleri closed her eyes, leaned her head back, and breathed out until her lungs were emptied. The nighttime air filled them immediately, cold and crisp against her throat. The action left her feeling a little less exhausted. She would never get used to that.

Her eyes were still closed as she lay back on the rock face. A bed of moss kept her head and shoulders barely off the cold, uneven stone. Rocks poked into her back but Valleri honestly didn't care about that.

Instead, she focused on the stars above her and the sounds that seemed to fill the space around her. Better things to think about in any case.

Valleri wasn't laying on the rock for long before she heard something coming down the road. She laid still for as long as possible, but hints of orange light flickering caught her eye. Valleri sat up and looked down on the road in front of her. Any feelings of panic subsided in another moment.

"Nobody'd seen you in a few hours. Figured I'd check out here," Vilkas shouted from below. Valleri didn't say anything as she watched the Nord climb up the tall rock with his lantern. She flopped backwards as Vilkas set down the lantern and take a seat next to her. His face scrunched together with curiosity, "What exactly are you doing out here?"

"I'm not all that sure. I keep thinking about home and how I got here," Valleri surmised.

Vilkas glanced over to her before staring south, "Anvil?"

Valleri hummed to herself, "At least Lexius got to go back. I thought I would have heard from him by now though."

"Maybe the courier got lost."

"Maye." Valleri paused, closing her eyes for a moment. "It's weird though. Like this is all really happening even though I've been trying to postpone it for long. Once we leave tomorrow, there's no going back, is there?"

The Nord regarded her for a second with a confused frown. His eye twitched as he thought of what he wanted say. Finally, Vilkas sighed, "Maybe, but that isn't bad, is it? Every single decision comes with some sort of permanent consequences."

"I know that. I know I'm doing the right thing by going, but that's what everyone expects. When you take everyone else in consideration, I don't have much of a choice anymore. It's not fair to shove this problem on others, but I sort don't want to do this either," Valleri explained. "Honestly I could have just gone with Lexius and forgotten the whole thing."

Vilkas' frown deepened into grimace. "Do you feel stuck here?"

Valleri turned her head, breath hitching in her throat as she looked at Vilkas. She felt herself sink a little on the inside. Taking a deep breath in, Valleri mustered a smile, "With you now, just staying in Whiterun? No, because that's my choice." She paused, expression growing glower. "Going to a cave to find a necklace and stop a war that's probably already started? I got myself into this mess just by association. If I'd known that, I probably wouldn't have picked up the scroll in the first place." Stopped to take a breath with narrowed eyes. "Maybe I'm overthinking it."

Sighing, Vilkas got up from his spot and looked back to the Imperial. "You are. You need to sleep if we're leaving tomorrow. I'd imagine we'll be getting up early and that's hard enough. Best to be well rested."

Valleri sat up with a blank stare. He had a point. Vilkas proffered a hand out and Valleri grabbed onto it. She came to her feet with a stumble. Maybe Vilkas was right, sleep would be the better option tonight.

…

Valleri wasn't expecting it to be so bright this early in the morning. After spending a prolonged winter in near perpetual darkness, bright mornings like this didn't feel quite natural. The Imperial didn't want to complain. Her surroundings were green and bright again and she missed it dearly.

Stretching her arms as far as she could, Valleri yawned. The air was chilly under the canopy and dew clung to the wooden supports. The wet wouldn't dissipate until noon. By then, Valleri would be gone with any luck. Her eyes were squinted as she looked up at the sky. There wasn't a single cloud visible. She was expecting good weather for her trip.

Valleri knew better than to count on Skyrim's weather but she had to hold out hope for something. The past two days were bleak and Valleri felt like she was being eaten up on the inside. She was sure the other two were feeling the same thing. For now, Valleri could only attempt to chase away the apathy with sunlight.

It wasn't working very well.

She turned around when she heard the door behind her creak open. Vilkas grimaced as he stood in the door way. The Imperial felt herself sink a bit and mustered a faltering smile. "Did you need something?" she asked, voice quiet.

The Nord's brow furrowed as his eyes narrowed against the bright light. "Are we eating before we go?"

Valleri shrugged, "May as well. No point in starting on an empty stomach. Besides, I don't think Aicantar's ready yet."

"I saw him getting his weird contraption ready earlier."

"Weird contraption?" Valleri whispered to herself. She shook her head when she realized Vilkas was talking about Smitty. Aicantar was keeping in the spider in a hidden corner of the mead hall but Valleri wasn't entirely sure where. The Imperial sighed and looked back over to the training yard. She narrowed her eyes and gave it another quick scan. Valleri was half expecting the scene to change but was disappointed to find everything where exactly where it was before.

She wasn't sure why she thought something would be different.

"Hey, Val?"

Valleri spun around to face Vilkas again, meeting him with wide eyes. "Yeah?"

"Are you good?" he asked with a grimace.

"How so?"

"After last night, I… I don't know," Vilkas trailed off. He stared off into the distance, looking anywhere but towards Valleri.

Sighing, Valleri took another few steps closer to the Nord. "Worried?"

"Not in the slightest."

"You are though. You always have this expression of sullen expectance on your face when you get worried," Valleri explained. "Like you know the worst thing possible is about to happen."

Vilkas looked back down to her with exasperation. "All right. Maybe I was a little bit worried."

The Imperial smirked and shrugged haphazardly, "I'm fine, Vilkas. Not the best. But given the circumstances, things couldn't be better."

"You sure?"

"I'm fine."

"It's hard to believe you when you keep saying it like that."

Valleri sighed. Vilkas really did seem like he was genuinely trying to look out for her. That didn't help to relive some of the tension that had been building all morning. At this point, all Valleri could do was try to block it out or focus on something entirely different. Valleri and Vilkas stared at each other for another few seconds before Valleri burst into laughter. Vilkas only shook his head with a smile.

"You do believe me though," Valleri said. "See, even you know that everything's gonna work out some way or another." She moved next to him, giving the Nord a squeeze on the arm. "We should go inside since you mentioned food."

She stepped inside of the door way, eyes adjusting slowly to the diminished light. Vilkas followed closely after her. Valleri caught another glimpse of his expression. Dread filled her when she noticed a concerned, apprehensive look in the Nord's eye.

Valleri pretended not to notice and took a seat at the table. It wasn't long before Vilkas sat next to her, bringing over some old bread and a bit of honey. Valleri didn't wait to start eating. At least she was able to focus on something other than her own head.

Vilkas jumped when they both heard a crash at the top of the stairs behind them. Valleri looked over her shoulder in curiosity only to see Aicantar laying sprawled out over the top few steps. She exchanged a concerned glance with Vilkas before getting up to check up on the Altmer.

Stopping in front of Aicantar, Valleri knelt down to face him, placing her arms on top of her knees. "Aicantar, you good there?" Valleri asked. She waited for an answer with a soft smile.

Aicantar only groaned. He breathed in sharply and looked up. Valleri had to stifle a laugh when she saw the large red mark on Aicantar's forehead. He narrowed his eyes, "I keep tripping on these Stendarr forsaken stairs."

Valleri tilted her head with a frown, "Don't really know how I can help you there my friend." In another moment, the Imperial stood up and proffered her hand out. Aicantar stared at her for moment before taking it. Valleri helped him up with a grunt.

Aicantar took a second to dust off his robes. "That was a start. Here, I need to get past you." The Altmer didn't wait and pushed past Valleri. She watched him cross the hall with a frazzled, hurried expression on his face. With a slam of the door, Aicantar disappeared into the side room.

Vilkas gave a quick glance over his shoulder before looking back to Valleri. "Did he say what he was doing?"

"No, not at all," Valleri answered. She took a deep breath in and went to the side room door. Only a light tap was needed to get Aicantar to answer.

He opened the door with a sigh, "What?"

"Are you looking for something? You seem distracted."

The Altmer paused for a moment, grimacing to himself. "You know my control pendant? For Smitty? It's bronze with a red jewel in the middle."

Valleri nodded, "Yeah, I know what you're talking about. Where was the last time you saw it?"

"About three hours ago. I left it on the table while I went to get Smitty. I was gonna run a check and then I would have been ready to leave. Smitty won't activate without it," Aicantar explained.

The Imperial clicked her tongue and looked over her shoulder. Vilkas was sitting away from them but she knew he was eavesdropping. She whistled to grab his attention. Vilkas gave her an eye roll, but he got out of his seat any ways. They had another necklace to search for.

…

Most of Jorrvaskr was torn up again. Valleri, Vilkas, and Aicantar had spent an hour two turning the place upside down looking for the elf's control pendant. So far, they hadn't seen it. At one point, TIlma cornered Vilkas and started lecturing him. When he asked, the old woman admitted she hadn't seen the necklace either.

Valleri paused, leaning against the downstairs wall to take a breather. Aicantar was shuffling around on the bunkroom floor, reaching his hand under the bed. The Imperial glanced into the hallway for a moment, "Listen, maybe you left it at the inn or someplace? It's not here."

"It's gotta be here. I'm telling you," Aicantar grunted, pulling his arm back. he rolled over onto his back and stared up, "I literally had it this morning and I haven't left Jorrvaskr, because honestly there's nowhere else for me to go."

Valleri helped him up again. "We can check upstairs again if you think it'll help," she relented.

The Altmer only nodded in agreement. Sullenly, he walked past Valleri to the staircase. She rolled her and followed Aicantar up. The room didn't look nearly as chaotic as the bunkrooms below. Vilkas seemed to be trying to keep things a tad cleaner after being accosted by an old woman. Valleri paused when she spotted Athis walking by. Without warning, she took the Dunmer by the sleeve and pulled him to the side of the room.

"Sheo's beard! Unhand me!" Athis complained as Valleri drug him away.

She looked over her shoulder with a scowl, "Just shut up for a moment. Have you seen a strange looking pendant around?"

"Who do you think I am? A jeweler?"

"No, but you live here, so close enough. It's bronze with a large red jewel in the middle."

Athis breathed out biting his lip. He glanced back to door before answering Valleri, "Yeah. Now that you mention it, I have."

"You're not saying this sarcastically are you?"

"Not this time," Athis sighed. He looked back towards the front door. "Torvar and I found it on the table. I tried to talk him out of it, but the dumbass took it to have it priced."

"Oh, you've got to be kidding me!" Valleri exclaimed. She waved for Aicantar to follow her, "Come on. Torvar's trying to sell your necklace."

"Wait, what?" Aicantar asked, perking up. "Here, I'll go get Vilkas."

Valleri groaned and rubbed her hair back, "Fine, just make it quick." Aicantar nodded his head and disappeared. Valleri didn't wait. The walk to the market only took a few minutes. Immediately, the Imperial made a bee line for one of the stalls.

The old woman running the booth perked up when she noticed Valleri approaching. She grinned widely, "Can I help you, dear?"

"No, look. I'm sorry, but I'm in a hurry," Valleri started, trying not to grimace. "I'm looking for an old Dwemer pendant with a large red jewel set in the middle."

"Yes, I have. One of the Companions was looking to sell it."

Valleri's eyes went wide for a moment, feeling just a tad bit hopeful. "Please tell me you have it."

Shaking her head, the old woman's mouth curled into an understanding smile. "No, I don't. I told him to check with Belethor." The old woman paused when she saw the frustrated scowl on Valleri's face. "Are you all right?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Excuse me, I have to go," Valleri trailed off. She turned around and sighed when she saw Aicantar and Vilkas standing a few feet behind her. The Imperial tilted her head towards the general store. "Torvar's at Belethor's place. Come on."

None of them said anything as they walked over. Valleri could hear people talking inside the store. The conversation was heated. The Imperial couldn't bring herself to care. She flung the door open with a slam and stepped inside. Belethor looked up in shock but Torvar didn't seem to notice and kept gesturing towards the necklace in his hand.

Vilkas trudged over to Torvar and put a hand on the man's shoulder. "Nice to see you're still here."

Torvar slowly looked over his shoulder, placing the necklace on the counter in front of him. Belethor's look of confusion melted into annoyance. He glanced over to Valleri and Aicantar in the back of the shop. "What is the meaning of this? Why are you harassing my store?"

Aicantar rubbed eyes with a free hand. Hos voice was dry as he stared at Belethor, "That guy over there is trying to sell my property."

Belethor looked over to Vilkas for answers. The Companions frowned, "Yes, we've been searching for this thing for a few hours." Vilkas glanced over to Torvar, scowling, "I'll have Aela talk to you later. I'm pretty sure there's some sort unwritten rule about theft."

Torvar grumbled as he stepped away, crossing his arms. Aicantar glared at him before stepping next to Vilkas. "Our friend hasn't sold my control pendant to you, has he?"

"Actually, I did," Torvar muttered.

There was a collective groan in the room. Aicantar slammed a fist on the counter, making Belethor and Vilkas jump back in surprise. "Dammit! How much did he get for it?"

Belethor shrugged, "Torvar didn't get any such compensation. He gave me the necklace to pay off a debt."

Vilkas glanced over his shoulder, "Why in the…" The younger Companion shrugged nonchalantly. "How much was the debt?" Vilkas asked.

"One hundred septims. He started a fire that destroyed a good portion of my stock."

"Why not just pay the man?" Aicantar shouted at Torvar. The Nord slunk back in the shadows and mumbled something no one could quite make out. Aicantar huffed and turned back to the storekeeper, "Is there anyway I can have my control pendant back?"

"No, if I just give to you, I'm gonna lose out on a profit."

"How much do you want for it then?"

"Nothing form you. I'm planning on selling it to Calcemo in Markarth. I heard he pays a lot for stuff like this," Belethor shrugged. His grip on the pendant grew tighter as he took a step back from the counter and Aicantar.

The Altmer threw his head back with an ugly screech. Suddenly, he looked back over to Belethor with a desperate expression. "Calcelmo's my uncle!" he shouted.

"Then you can get it back from him then."

"That'll take so long. Why not just cut out the middle man!"

Valleri exchanged an exasperated look with Vilkas across the room. She shook her head before pushing Aicantar out of the way. "We don't have time for this anymore," Valleri muttered. She unhooked a small bag from her belt and plopped it on the table. Belethor's eyes went wide at the sight and he couldn't seem to move. Valleri snatched the pendant from his hands before the Breton could do anything. Grabbing Aicantar by the collar, Valleri made a quick exit.

Vilkas was frowning as the trio went back to Jorrvaskr. "How much was in there?"

"Couldn't have been more than thirty septims," Valleri muttered.

The Nord held the door open for her and Aicantar. Immediately, Aicantar slipped the pendant over his neck, the center piece falling comfortably above his chest. With that, Aicantar disappeared downstairs.

Valleri flopped into a chair at the table. She looked back to Vilkas with heavy lidded eyes. She took in deep breath. "Can we go now?"


	64. Chapter 64

The road was barely visible anymore. Years of foot traffic, caravans, and horses had degraded the cobblestones to almost nothing. Fortunately, the path was carved out against the rocky crags on either side, making it hard to lose even in the dark. That didn't stop plants from growing. One wrong move and a traveler was bound to trip on a vine and fall on their face. If they were truly unlucky, they'd drop into a ravine, never to be seen again.

Luckily, Vilkas had traveled around the Reach before. He'd already gotten lost so many times it wasn't likely to happen again. He glanced over his shoulder to Valleri and Aicantar. Now those two on the other hand…

As far as he knew, Aicantar had been living in Markarth for a few years now. But the elf hadn't left the city much. The streets were well managed in the city. The same couldn't be said for the roads outside.

Valleri on the other hand hadn't spent much time in the Reach at all. That and the fact that the woman could trip on air wasn't very convincing. Vilkas would have to keep an eye on her for a little while longer.

So far though, things seemed to going smoothly. They'd been on the road for a week and half with no considerable distractions. He would have expected ten things to go wrong by now, but maybe luck was paying them back for their rocky start. Either way, Vilkas was intent not to complain.

One thing Vilkas did find a bit odd was the amount of people on the road. It wasn't civilians or soldiers, but rather Thalmor. The tall bastards were patrolling the road between Rorikstead and Markarth. None of the trio made any move to talk or interact. But Vilkas could see panic in Aicantar's eyes each time they passed. Valleri wasn't nearly as jumpy, but her expression always turned steely cold as soon as she set eyes on the black robes.

He wasn't sure what was worse. Deep in the back of his mind, he knew Valleri wouldn't pull any threatening moves. Still, the worry hung in the back of Vilkas' mind.

They were more than a week out of Whiterun when the three of them made it to a roadside inn. Aicantar breathed a sigh of relief when the building came into view. Vilkas exchanged an exasperated smile with Valleri before following Aicantar up. At least Aicantar's excitement wasn't unfounded. They were going to be sleeping in an actual bed for the night.

Vilkas furrowed his eyebrows when he noticed Aicantar stopping suddenly on the path. Instinctively, Vilkas' hand went to the pommel of the smaller knife on his belt. The wave of panic subsided when he noticed a young boy was sprinting at them, a look of anger written all over his face. Vilkas stepped out the way before the child plowed into Aicantar arms first. The Altmer went down like a bag of potatoes.

The boy was yelling at the top of his lungs, directing all of his complaints and insults at Aicantar. Valleri came up from behind at a slow pace. She looked at the scene with a confused expression only to glance back up to Vilkas. "What' going on here?"

Shrugging, the Nord couldn't answer her. Valleri sighed as the two of them watched the scene unfold.

"You're not allowed here!" the child yelled. Aicantar stepped back mouth wide open despite a loss of words. The boy kept shouting, "Go away before I toss you out!"

"I'm already outdoors. What in the world did I do?" the Altmer finally managed to stumble out.

The boy's eyes narrowed, "You're one of those justice… You're one of those Thalmor elves that keeps pestering mama."

In a second, Aicantar's expression went from confusion to shock. He blinked twice before he flew into a rage, throwing his arms around in the air wildly. "Why would you think I'm Thalmor? I'm pretty sure I'm running for my life from those… Those absolute snakes! I'm not even wearing black!"

"You're wearing those dark robes. You can't fool me!"

"They're purple!"

Suddenly, the boy ran off in the opposite direction. Aicantar looked over to Vilkas and Valleri, searching for the right words to say. Valleri only shook her head and began to head up the rest of the path. The remaining two could do nothing but follow their red clad friend.

Vilkas could hear the boy chattering inside. His voice was hurried and paranoid, not surprising to Vilkas. "I'm telling you they came back again," the boy chattered.

The woman who was presumably his mother stood over a table, back turned towards him. "Calm down. I'm sure there's no one out there,' the woman said, obviously not interested in what her son had to say.

The boy turned around quite suddenly. His eyes went wide then pointed to Aicantar, "There he is!"

Finally, the woman sighed and turned around. Momentarily surprised, the woman scowled and shook her head. She gave the boy's head a pat. "Skuli, that's not one of the justiciars. That's just some traveler."

"We're Companions," Vilkas interrupted. Valleri glanced at him from the corner of her eyes, mouth pulled into an unsure frown.

The woman nodded her head, "Right. Companions. Skuli, that's almost the exact opposite of the Thalmor." She approached the trio with a smile on her face. "Forgive my son. It's just us and Leonitus out here. His head gets so full of crazy ideas. I assume you want a room?"

Vilkas felt a weight life from his shoulders, "Yeah. Just for tonight though. We've got places to be."

"I can only imagine," the woman laughed. She led the trio to a larger side room. "I can set up another cot in here for one of you," she muttered, looking in closet against the wall. She pulled out some more bedding and tossed it onto the bed before turning back to her guests.

Aicantar exchanged a quick look with Vilkas, nodding. "That's fine," the Nord muttered. The inn keeper smiled again and left for another part of the inn. He looked over his shoulder to Valleri. The woman was staring towards the door. Before he knew it, Valleri followed the inn keeper out of the room.

"Did you need anything?"

"No, not really. There was just something I was curious about." Valleri paused taking in a deep breath. "Your son mentioned the Thalmor."

"Yes. Skuli's been paranoid about it for a while."

"I know they have a bit of presence here in the Reach…"

"A bit of a presence? Ha! They've been getting worse recently. They come by the inn about once a month, asking for information on Talos worship." The woman laughed, "And we're so far away from Markarth too."

There was a brief pause before Valleri continued, "Why do you think they've been increasing patrols?"

"Who's to say?" The woman paused again and sighed. "You're not a Talos worshipper, are you?"

"No, I'm not."

"Not that I care anyways. Why you're so interested isn't really my business anyways."

Now, Vilkas walked to the door and peeked his head out. Valleri was already heading to the front door when the inn keeper stopped her again.

"Hey, before you leave, a traveler did tell me something interesting I think you'd like to know."

Valleri turned around, "Oh?"

"He spotted a large group of Thalmor agents heading north west out of Markarth. If you and your friends are heading that way, be careful."

The Imperial's skin went white for a moment before she flashed the woman a false grin. "I'll keep an eye out." She didn't wait for an answer before stepping outside.

…

Vilkas and Aicantar walked some ways behind Valleri. No words were spoken between them since they left. If either Vilkas or Aicantar started talking, Valleri probably wouldn't have noticed. She seemed to be stuck in a world of her own. Vilkas tried to put her out of his mind. He tried to convince himself he was a long ways from having to worry.

Valleri had been distracted like this before. She'd been like this in Nchuand Zel. At least that's what the Nord kept telling himself.

The Imperial had been quiet since the previous evening. Even Aicantar was starting to notice it too. He exchanged a concerned glance with Vilkas over the evening meal and that was as much acknowledgment as they shared. Vilkas was honestly hoping Valleri would snap out whatever funk she was in. She usually did.

But for now, the trio of travelers continued north. The scenery only got more extreme the further they went. By now, craggy rockfaces surrounded them on all sides, covered in lichens and moss. Small, sparse trees tried their best to make a home in the desolate environment; branches rose high and twisted in search of the dim sunlight filtering in through the cloud cover. Even this late into the morning, fog clung to ground. The wetness only made the travelers feel even more heavy.

Only Aicantar didn't seem to get depressed by their surroundings. He was the only one that had lived in the region for any amount of time. He was probably used to it already. Vilkas for his part hated it. It felt like it was going to start raining any minute and he wasn't looking forward to that. Being soaked through wasn't going to make for a pleasant night of camping on the road.

The few times he was able to get a glimpse of Valleri's face, he was only met with a cold expression. She didn't look angry, but her mouth was always drawn into a tight-lipped frown.

The more Vilkas thought about it, the more annoyed he got. Walking around in a canyon, not speaking to each other about what in the world they were supposed to do was starting to get on his nerves. Valleri's attitude was starting to get on his nerves.

Vilkas stopped suddenly, staring at the ground with a scowl. Aicantar walked back and regarded him with a worried glint in his eyes but didn't say anything. Valleri only turned around slowly, expression blank. "You've stopped. You okay?" she asked. Her voice was accusing, like she thought this was just a sad inconvenience.

The Nord looked at her through narrowed eyes. Vilkas shook his head and bit his lip. He couldn't help but be honest, "You haven't said a single word to either of us, Val, and we know something's not right. Why aren't you telling us anything?"

The Imperial's eyebrows furrowed and her expression morphed into a scowl. "What? You think I'm paranoid or something?"

Valleri took a step back. She blinked once before her scowl deepened. She opened her mouth to speak before glancing over to the side. Her eyes narrowed as she focused on whatever was off the path.

Vilkas felt himself boil on the inside. He took a few steps closer to Valleri. "Valleri! Are you even listening?"

The imperial snapped back at him, voice sharp, "Shut up for a moment!" in another moment, Valleri took off sprinting into the fog. Vilkas stole a look at Aicantar before following her.

He found her heading off the road into the crags. By now, she slowed down to a cautious walk, keeping an eye out for whatever was lurking around. She didn't say a single word as they found themselves in a small alcove. Even Vilkas had to stop.

Around them were bodies. Most of them looked like priests, dressed in purple and orange robes. Their limbs and clothes were singed with black. Bits of skin and muscle was melted off. Whatever killed them was unnatural and violent.

Valleri walked over to another body at the far side of the alcove. It was an Altmer, dressed in tell tale black robes. His neck was sliced open. Red, gooey blood covered his chest and spilled onto the ground underneath him. Whoever killed him must have been looking for revenge. The Thalmor died slowly and painfully.

Spinning on her heel, Valleri stared at Vilkas and Aicantar through distant eyes. "You were saying something Vilkas?"

The Nord was at a loss for words. He kept his head high as he stared at the Imperial. Valleri only shook her head and pushed past him.

…

The trio had been traveling for a little over two weeks when the terrain around them started to look more like a forest than a canyon. Valleri was glad to see it. If she had to so much as look at another rock, she was going to lose it.

She stared at the map in her hands for another moment before Vilkas started speaking from behind her. "Maybe the book was wrong?"

She clicked her tongue, voice tinged with annoyance, "Well it's no more wrong than whatever you two were able to find. I'm close and you know it."

The Nord didn't reply and went back to roasting a squirrel over their meager campfire. Valleri breathed out sharply, a wave of guilt washing over her. She knew what she said wasn't fair, but the words came out anyways.

Curiosity led Aicantar to walk over. He stopped right behind her, looking over the Imperial's shoulder at the map. He glowered at it, trying to get a sense of what it trying to tell him. Valleri shrugged her shoulders with a sigh. She folded the map up to a smaller size and pointed out where their location. "We should have been there already," she muttered, "but, I guess nothing is ever completely accurate. I know for a fact we're in the right area though."

Aicantar stayed silent, perking up when Vilkas started speaking again. The Nord didn't look up as he addressed them, "We can search for the cave entrance in the morning. It's getting cold and there's no point in getting hurt wandering around in the dark."

The Altmer looked at Valleri with heavy lidded eyes. He was tired and he knew Valleri was too. Relenting, Valleri breathed out sharply as she folded the map back up. Vilkas tried to muster up an understanding smile as the two of them approached the camp fire. Valleri could feel the tension in her shoulders ramp up as soon as she sat down on an old tree stump.

She'd been out here too long.

Only about an hour passed as the sun went down behind them. The cover of the trees obscured most of the night sky but Masser's light filtered through the branches. Most of their light came from the dwindling fire none of them felt horribly compelled to keep going. Aicantar and Vilkas were talking to each other in low tones. The topic was always something light and inconsequential.

Valleri was zoning out but she heard it nonetheless.

The noise was barely audible behind her. It was crunching and snapping, like something was walking around in the trees. She looked over her shoulder, squinting to see through the shadows. Vilkas glanced at her with a confused expression, "Valleri?"

"I thought I heard something out there."

The Nord exchanged a concerned look with Aicantar and got up from the camp fire. He stopped at the edge clearing, took a quick look, then turned to face Valleri again. "I'm not seeing or smelling anything, Val," he assured.

"Wait, smell?" Aicantar asked.

Nobody said anything further as the Imperial stood to meet Vilkas. She pulled back some of the shrubs and peered further into the forest. Clicking her tongue after her initial scan, Valleri frowned, "I could have sworn I heard something crunching back there."

Before she knew, Vilkas' eyes went wide as he stiffened. Valleri furrowed her eyebrows. Something really was out there. The Nord turned to Aicantar, "Snuff out the fire, quick."

Valleri waited for Aicantar while Vilkas ran on ahead. It wasn't hard for them to find Vilkas again; the Nord was being loud, leading them a little ways from the camp. They found him standing in front of a rock wall. His eyes were wide again as he stared at a cave door in front of him. A quick glance revealed a small tent pitched a few feet away. The fire pit was cold and it looked like an animal had been ruffling around the bed roll.

Valleri felt her breath hitch in her throat as her thoughts swirled around in her head. She looked back up to Vilkas with a wavering smile, "Well it looks like your werewolf senses are still as sharp as ever."

"Unfortunately so," Vilkas murmured, eyes downcast, "This place looks like it's been abandoned for a while."

The Nord turned around when he felt Aicantar grab his shoulder. The Altmer was wearing a shocked grimace on his face. "Can you repeat that for me one more time?" Aicantar grumbled. Both Valleri and Vilkas went quiet. Valleri could hear her blood rushing through her ears as the silence became palpable. They fucked up bad.

Aicantar let Vilkas go. He shivered as he stepped back, "I'm concerned you're not answering me."

Valleri looked up to the Companion with questioning expression. He sighed and faced Aicantar with a grimace. "I don't know exactly what to say."

"Yes or no?"

The Nord stalled for another second, fumbling. "Yes, fine. I am. I am a fucking werewolf! But gods, I really don't want to be! I wasn't even planning on sharing that with you!"

Aicantar breathed in sharply through his nose, face contorted into a grimace. His voice was quiet as he spoke, "Look I am so sorry."

"Hey you two!" Valleri shouted. Her friends looked up to her with startled expressions, but Valleri didn't seem to care. "I'm pretty sure this is the right cave."

Vilkas scowled, "Valleri, this could be any cave."

"Nonsense! It was so close to where the map said it would be," the Imperial laughed, waving the Nord off. She took in a deep breath, expression softening. "Listen I'm going in. If you two want to come that's up to you. But I can't stop. Not now."

Before Aicantar and Vilkas could say anything, Valleri was already inside. The both of them exchanged and exasperated glance before following her. May as well when there was nothing else to do.


	65. Chapter 65

Valleri didn't expect the cave to be so spacious. The ceiling rose up several hundred feet and opened up. Stars glittered above her as she stared upwards for only a moment. As much as she wanted to look up at the sky, Valleri had to move on. The walls were close together and was starting to make her feel claustrophobic.

The first thing Valleri noticed when she entered was the giant hole dominating most of the first room. A small ledge was on other side of the hole, decorated with an old table and chair. Valleri narrowed her eyes and looked closer. The remains of an old bridge were still tied to the ledge, hanging loosely in the hole. Valleri peered over the edge. Her hands gripped the wall instinctively as she realized she couldn't see the bottom of the hole.

She was groaning when Aicantar and Vilkas found her. The elf was white as ghost, probably still processing what he learned about Vilkas. Vilkas for his part looked around the cavern with curiosity, eyes finally landing on the hole.

"This bodes well, doesn't it?" he muttered. The Nord was standing right on the edge, arms crossed.

"Don't fall in quite yet,' Valleri warned. Nervousness filled her stomach as she still clung wall, "There might be a better way down."

"We can only hope."  
She turned around when she heard the clattering behind her. Aicantar was poking his head into a hidden nook. He looked over his shoulder to Valleri, "There's a way over here. A bit of a squeeze though."

Valleri went to meet him. The Imperial could understand why she didn't find the path earlier. The entrance was covered in moss and the shadows created by the rocks made it indistinguishable from the rest of the wall. Still, it was a path rather than a gaping hole in the floor. Without a word, Valleri stepped on through with Aicantar following close behind.

The tunnel wound downwards for only a few feet then ended abruptly. Valleri tapped on Aicantar's shoulder, signaling for him to summon up a light. The spell burned the Imperial's eyes before they adjusted. She sighed again; it really was a dead end. But whoever was here last made themselves a nice little camp. Valleri was most surprised to find a pillow amongst the bedding. It was covered in cobwebs, but it looked comfy nonetheless.

Aicantar looked down to Valleri, "Down the hole?"

"Down the hole."

The Altmer grumbled a little more before heading the way they came. Valleri stared at the small encampment in dark for another moment. With another sigh, Valleri turned back with disappointment still lingering. She stopped when she heard Aicantar and Vilkas talking.

"No way back there?"

"Yeah, just a dead end with some musty old bedding."

"That's not concerning at all."

"Do we have a rope at least? We could get down that way."

"Didn't think to bring one."

"How about the ladder over there? We could tear it apart…"

"It's on the other side of the hole. Are you gonna teleport over there or something?"

"You're right, dumb idea. Can you see the bottom?"

"Of the hole? Not at all."

The Imperial stopped next Aicantar and glanced downwards. She still felt unsettled as she looked down. Shaking her head, Valleri looked back to her friends, "we don't have much of a choice."

Aicantar tilted his head with a drawn smile, "Well, we could always just leave."

"Technically we could," Valleri murmured before her face turned serious, "But that's not the point."

"Once we go down, there's no coming back up," Vilkas said. He was still looking down the hole with a grimace. "At least not this way."

Valleri smirked and crossed her arms. Vilkas and Aicantar looked over at her with confusion. "I'm going down."

"Wait really?"

"Why not?" Valleri asked, glancing over to Aicantar. Her stomach still felt uneasy about making the leap, but the determination was there. She stole one last look at Vilkas, noting the look of mild entertainment on his face.

Valleri didn't waste her breath with an explanation before backing up to the wall of the cave. She started sprinting towards the hole. Her eyes shut right before she made it to the edge of the hole. Finally, Valleri sprung the edge.

She almost didn't realize she was falling until Valleri opened her eyes. In less than a second, Valleri couldn't see Vilkas and Aicantar any longer and darkness enveloped her. Before she knew it, Valleri was on her back, still falling weightlessly down the hole. There was another moment before Valleri scrunched her eyes together and felt herself scream. Her hand went out, attempting to grab onto a vine, anything to slow down her fall.

There was nothing around her but air.

In another few moments, Valleri felt her back hit water. Her eyes shot open as the cold liquid splashed around her. She took in a deep breath of air before her head was sucked under water.

…

Vilkas watched with amazement as Valleri leapt off the side. She disappeared in a moment, leaving him and Aicantar looking down in awe. He didn't actually think she was going to do that. Vilkas knelt down at the edge of the hole and stared down. All he could see was darkness.

"Shit, shit, shit," Aicantar muttered, suddenly pacing. "What just happened? Did Valleri just die?"

Vilkas felt his chest tighten as he continued to stare. He gulped, "I have no idea. I thought I heard a splash but I'm not sure." Taking a deep breath, Vilkas shouted Valleri's name down the hole. He could hear nothing but an echo.

By now, panic began to cement to itself in his stomach. Maybe she did just kill herself. If not, she was most likely injured and needed help. Anything could have happened.

"Vilkas, we gotta do something!"

The Nord whipped around to face Aicantar, "You don't think I realize that? We gotta jump down there."

Aicantar expression turned to shock in only a moment. "Wait, what? No. Absolutely not. No, no, no," the Altmer stammered out finally. He waved his arms in opposition as Vilkas tilted his head. "Look, there's gotta be another way down."

"You and Val literally just checked. This is the only way. Look, I can go first if you're not willing to."

"Nope." Aicantar shook his head and dug his heels into the ground. "I refuse to go down that hole."

Vilkas threw his head back in frustration. Without warning, he grabbed Aicantar's arm roughly and drug him to the edge of the hole. The Altmer screamed when Vilkas tossed him over the edge. Vilkas waited another few seconds before jumping in himself.

He would have to apologize to Aicantar when he saw him at the bottom.

…

Valleri took another deep breath as she surfaced. A strong current pulled her forward into the darkness, but Valleri 's eyes were adjusting quickly. Panic still rooted in her, the Imperial flailed her arms around in a half-baked attempt to grab hold of a rock or root. Not that it would have really helped in any case.

Valleri's eyes went wide when she noticed the small tunnel opening out into a sider chamber. Strange shapes hung from the ceiling, blocking what little light was filtering in. they moved like wriggling fingers, making Valleri go even colder in the water. She almost stopped breathing entirely when she realized they were giant spiders.

She flailed around in the water, reaching around for anything she could grasp onto. Those spiders were the last things she wanted go near. Finally, her hands grabbed hold of a root. The wooden tendril was cold and slimy in her grasp but it was something. Water splashed in the Imperial's nose and mouth making it almost impossible to breathe. In another moment her head was enveloped in water again. The current was too strong and Valleri's hand quickly lost its grip on the root.

Screaming, Valleri started to swallow more water as the river carried her closer to the edge. Valleri almost didn't realize she'd gone down the waterfall until she opened her eyes again to see spiders crawling up and down the cave walls. Within seconds, she was submerged again after landing in more water.

Valleri's eyes shot open. Her vision was cloudy n the water, but she was still alive. Legs kicking against the bottom, Valleri shot up to the surface of the water. Relief filled her when she found the pond to be shallow and calm. There were no strong currents to pull her further into the darkness.

Quickly, Valleri swam to the side and hauled herself up on to the stony floor. She coughed violently; her body's attempt to flush out the water she swallowed in the way down. The Imperial allowed herself another moment to catch her breath before getting up. She tossed her cloak and pack to the ground where it landed with a wet thud. The cold was already creeping up on her and seeping into her bones. Valleri looked over her shoulder to the water fall. The fall wasn't as horrible as she thought now that she was able to look at it properly.

In the background, Valleri heard a scream. Not a moment too soon, another figure fell down into the pond with a splash. Whoever it was surfaced and started flailing around in the water. Valleri rushed to the edge and narrowed her eyes for a better look. She sighed and called out, "Aicantar! This way! There's a ledge!"

As she predicted, Aicantar started kicking towards the shore. He clasped onto Valleri's hand and climbed up.

Valleri furrowed her eyebrow in concern, "Aicantar, what happened to Vilkas?"

"Son of a bitch!"

The Imperial stepped back with a grimace, "Wait, what?"

"That fucking Nord tossed me down!" Aicantar grasped her shoulders and shook Valleri, "I'm gonna hit him if he ever comes down here!"

Valleri stepped out of the Altmer's hold, glancing past him at the waterfall. She smirked when she saw Vilkas being carried towards them by the current. He yelled as he was tossed down the waterfall and landed with another splash. "You can do that now, Aicantar," she muttered.

Aicantar grumbled as he made his way to the shore. Vilkas was breathing heavily as he pulled himself up out of the water. He took a moment to rub the hair back out of his face, revealing a harried expression. "By Shor, I thought there was good possibility we might have drowned." Vilkas paused and met Valleri's eyes, "I am never, ever doing that again."

"Well, now what?" Aicantar huffed, crossing his arms.

Valleri rubbed some water from her eyes before squinting further into the cave. "I don't see any point in stopping for too long right here. I'm not sure if you saw those spiders up there, but I'd rather not risk having them come down to snack on us."

"She's got a point," Vilkas agreed with a nod of his head. "We'll probably dry out a little faster too if we're on the move."

The Imperial sighed, "I can't see anything down here. We'll have to stick close."

"Oh, give me moment," Aicantar whispered. Before either Vilkas or Valleri realized it, the cave was lit up with white light emanating from an orb floating above the Altmer. He grinned, "I'm useful for something."

"Well, stay close to Aicantar then."

Without another second wasted, the trio moved on. A smaller stream of water wound its way through the cave while smaller tunnels stemming off. Every once in a while, Valleri would see the shadows move form the corner of her eyes. She tried to put it out her mind as she followed Vilkas and Aicantar ahead of her. Sooner or later, the stream ran into the cave wall and they could follow it no longer. The tunnel then turned sharply upwards. Valleri felt like they were close to the end. But then again, she could be wrong.

The farther they climbed, the more distracted Vilkas became. Eventually, Valleri stopped and turned to him with narrowed eyes, "Is everything okay?"

"No," the Nord stated plainly, staring over his shoulder downhill. "I think we're being followed."

Valleri and Aicantar exchanged a worried glance. "Do you have you any idea what it might be?"

"Can't say for sure. This place is so musty I can't tell anything apart," Vilkas said. He scrunched his nose with distaste and walked to catch up to his friends. "This is not a good place for a fight. Regardless of what might be trailing us, we need to find an open area."

Valleri felt her heart beat faster as Aicantar quickened his pace. Vilkas lagged behind, determined to keep watch. At the top of the hill was a junction. Aicantar's magical light filled the small area and Valleri spun around to see that tunnels split in all directions. There was another small camp in a forgotten corner, destroyed by rats and moss.

She grimaced as Vilkas came up behind her. "I can't believe somebody actually decided to live here."

"Probably not for long," Vilkas whispered. He tapped Aicantar on the shoulder before gesturing to one of the new tunnels. "Head down that way. We'll be right behind you."

"Is that thing still after us?" the Altmer asked with a concerned grimace.

Vilkas stole another quick look down the way they came. "It's still down there. Best to just leave."

Valleri gasped lightly as she grabbed onto Vilkas' collar. "We need to go now!" the Imperial hissed as she dragged him and Aicantar down the next tunnel. After a steep incline, the floor leveled out into a massive cavern. The walls were lit up with glowing mushrooms, masking the room with a faint glow to see by. Valleri stopped running when they reached the side of another stream, panting heavily with wide, spooked eyes.

"Valleri! What in oblivion are you doing?"

"There's a fucking troll back there!" she yelled. Almost on cue, Aicantar yelled something nobody could make as a deep, carnal scream echoed from the tunnels. Valleri breathed deeply through her nose, "Why didn't you say anything?"

Vilkas grumbled as his eyes landed on the behemoth finally appearing at the end of the tunnel. The troll screamed once more and Valleri could have sworn she could smell it. Barely a moment passed when Valleri realized the Altmer at her side was gone, sprinting off in another direction. His magical light followed him down the cave like a bait. And sure enough, Valleri watched in shocked disbelief as the troll went straight for Aicantar.

Valleri ran after them almost immediately, following after Aicantar's mage light. She stopped when she saw Aicantar cornered against an old shrine in the middle of the cavern. Valleri didn't think and ran as fast as she could.

The troll brought its arms down to crush Aicantar but paused when its arms hit the floor. Valleri had already plunged the silver blade in the beast's back. Valleri pulled the blade out with a squelch and took a step back. Aicantar was able to scurry away and the surprised troll turned to face his sudden attacker. Valleri's eyes went wide as the troll's arms went up for another attack.

Again, Valleri barely realized she was swinging until she felt the edge of her sword eat into the troll's side. The creature only roared as it tottered back and forth until it regained its balance. The Imperial was out of breath. Her lungs burned as she tried to draw a breath. When she saw the troll lunging for a final attack, Valleri's eyes went wide with panic.

Before she realized it, a familiar yell rang in her ears and large sword plunged into the troll's chest. Valleri looked to her side to see Vilkas panting hard as he let the troll fall to the floor. He flashed a smirk when he pulled back.

"It's been a while,' he said, still smiling.

Valleri couldn't help but grin, "It has.' She paused and looked over to Aicantar. "You okay?"

Aicantar could only shake his head before he turned away and start hyperventilating. Valleri shook her head with a grimace and poked the troll with her sword. The troll didn't react. At least they didn't have to worry about that anymore. Valleri slid the sabre back into its sheath as a weight came off her shoulders.

Vilkas was already inspecting the shrine Aicantar found. The ceiling above them was caved in, allowing in enough light for them to see by clearly. The Imperial noted how similar the design of the shrine; the pale stone's silhouette was curved gently without any sort of fancy embellishments. If anything, it was much more Cyrodiilic than Dwemer. At least they were on the right track.

"Is it me or is this particularly clean looking?" Vilkas asked as he went around the back.

Squinting her eyes, Valleri leaned in for a closer look. "You're right. Usually there'd be some cobwebs at the very least. Someone must have been here recently."

"Cyrenial?"

Valleri grimaced, "Gods, I hope not…"

She sighed then gave the shrine another look. There wasn't anything unexpected about the exterior. But the inside of the shrine was opened up. At first, Valleri peeked in. All she saw was a small room with a fountain in the middle, surrounded on all sides by stony walls.

The Imperial just barely saw it.

The back panel seemed to be shimmering. Valleri narrowed her eyes in a sad attempt to look at it better. A second later, the dissatisfied woman walked in and approached the back panel with caution.

The wall really was shimmering, though just barely. A touch of rainbow colors swirled on a glass like plane just barely above the wall. Almost instinctively, Valleri put her hand through it only to watch it disappear. Her eyes shot open as she pulled her hand back in a final swift motion and spun back towards the opening.

"Aicantar! Vilkas! I found a portal!"

The Altmer turned to face her with a tired frown, "You're kidding."

Valleri shook her head with a grin, "Not at all! I think it's where we're supposed to go.'

Vilkas and Aicantar exchanged a harried glance before Vilkas walked over. The Nord scanned around the shrine, pausing only when he saw the portal. Valleri crossed her arms and leaned against the wall as he approached her. "At least you haven't gone crazy yet. I think Aicantar's about to hit a limit though."

Biting her lip, Valleri breathed out sharply. "Just a little bit further. Just a little bit further, then we can rest as long as we need to."

"That exciting, huh?"

"You have no idea."

The Nord sighed and called out to Aicantar, "We're going a little further to find a better place to camp." The Altmer groaned before plodding on over, noticeably less excited than before. Vilkas was right. He was going to hit a limit, but that wouldn't be for a while Valleri thought. She didn't wait for the other two before walking on to the other side. Luminescent purple swirled and clouded her vision and she could hear rhythmic humming around her.

Things were about to get a bit more interesting.


	66. Chapter 66

Valleri wasn't exactly sure why she was disappointed to find herself in another cave tunnel. The walls around her looked the same as before. Next to nothing was different. What was the point of the portal then?

The Imperial marched forwards a little before someone came out behind her. Immediately, Aicantar's eyes went wide. Valleri turned around with a grin. "You okay there?"

The Altmer shook his head, "Not at all. I've been thrown down a river and nearly killed by a troll. I'm tired, hungry, and cold."

Valleri couldn't bring herself to say anything as Aicantar stared back at her. His eyes were full of disappointed contempt. The Imperial squirmed and tried to convince herself he was just tired. Deep down she was probably tired too. She'd have to make due on her promise of a break soon.

Looking over Aicantar's shoulder, Valleri grimaced. "What happened to Vilkas?"

"Huh?" The Altmer paused and glimpsed back. "Shit! He was right behind me a minute ago. I could have sworn he was!"

Aicantar's words faded as Valleri pushed past him. Panic settled into her stomach as she waited, eyes widening. Water dripping down the walls and the pounding of her blood grew louder as each second passed like a minute. There was nothing looking back at her.

A hand landed on her shoulder that made Valleri jump. She turned back to Aicantar, "You're sure Vilkas was right behind you?"

"Yeah! Gods, you don't think something happened, do you?"

Valleri gulped, "I have no idea. We gotta stay here for a while. I'm not gonna just leave without him."

The Altmer nodded groggily, "Makes sense. Should we head back?"

Narrowing her eyes, she shook her head, "That's not possible. The portals not there anymore."

There was a lengthy pause before Aicantar opened his mouth to speak again. "Did we have a contingency plan for this? Like at all?"

"No," Valleri shook her head with a shaky breath. "How was I supposed to plan for this?"

"How long should we wait?"

"I dunno. I think I lost my sense of time in here."

Without another word, Valleri crouched down onto the ground and leaned her head on her knees. A faint purple glow covered the tunnel in soft light. The blackness receded into nooks and crannies and Valleri didn't have to squint through the gloom. The elf leaned against the cave wall and slid down to Valleri. She extended a hand and gave him a quick pat.

The corner of his lips curled into a faint smile, "So you really had no idea what would happen?"

"Not at all. You can't really prepare for this kind of thing. I've ever come across a portal before, let alone one that didn't work."

"I mean, that is a valid point."

"I think so too."

Aicantar paused and glanced upwards. Valleri met his eyes for a moment, only to see concern. His smile melted into a thin-lipped grimace, "Do you hear that?"

"Hear what?"

Aicantar rose to his feet without a word.

"Hear what, Aicantar?" Valleri asked again. She jumped up to meet him, breathing in sharply through her nose. "Aicantar?"

He raised a hand for silence and grimaced again. After another moment, Aicantar looked to Valleri, "That! Do you hear it?"

Eyes falling to the ground, Valleri strained her ears. He was right. In the distance, Valleri heard an even clapping sound. Her stomach dropped as her head shot up. "Those are footsteps, Aicantar!"

Before she knew it, Valleri broke into a sprint, dragging Aicantar behind her, only to have him shout in protest. The footsteps stopped. Halting, Valleri's breath caught in her throat. Curses repeated themselves in her head as she grasped tighter onto the hilt of the sword on her hip.

Suddenly there was an unearthly snarl from the darkness in front of the duo, followed by slower footsteps.

Blood pulsing through her system filled Valleri's ears as she waited. She squinted.

From the darkness, a pale, white limb came towards her.

Valleri took a step backwards, and her eyes grew wide.

The hairs on the back of her neck stood up as she ran into Aicantar. The Altmer turned around, preoccupied with something other than the Falmer blocking the path. A throaty screech rang through the tunnel as Valleri realized there was another one behind them. Aicantar fell to his knees as the second Falmer tried to attack him. Distracted, Valleri almost didn't see the one in front of her swing at her with a chitin sword.

She barely stepped out of the way before she retrieved her own. In one fell swoop, the spindly elf went down and Valleri started running forward again. Aicantar didn't waste any time in following her. The remaining Falmer screamed in protest, then stammered after them.

"Valleri," Aicantar muttered, breathing ragged, "it's still after us!"

"Just keep running!"

"What?"

"We got teleported into a fucking colony!"

Aicantar shouted a line of curses as the two of them followed the bends in the cave system. Anxiety filled Valleri. She had no idea where she was going. She had no idea how many Falmer trailed them now. She had no idea where the tunnel even let out.

Muscles and lungs burned the further Valleri pushed herself. The sound of the mob raging after them pushed her further and further. Visions of what would happen should the Falmer grab hold of her and Aicantar flooded her mind.

Valleri kept running.

Before she realized it, the Imperial found herself in an open cavern. She paused for only a moment, glimpsing a nearly invisible side passage in a nearby wall. Wordlessly, she pulled Aicantar and herself as deep as they were able to fit.

"What the—"

"Shut up!"

Valleri kept a hand around Aicantar's mouth in a haphazard attempt to keep him quiet. Taking a deep breath in, the Imperial watched the cavern next to them. The mob of Falmer roared past, dispersing in the room like wasps. Every so often, an individual would separate from the pack and investigate some crevice in the wall.

Her heart pounded as one of the Falmer stumbled closer to their hiding place. Valleri scrunched her eyes shut as she heard the Falmer coming closer. The Falmer came close enough to smell the musty, fishy scent wafting off of it. In another moment, the Falmer scampered back to the group.

Valleri was shaky as she allowed herself to breathe again. She tore her hand away from Aicantar and glimpsed back out into the cavern. The last of the Falmer were moving on.

Aicantar pushed past Valleri, making his way to middle of the cavern. The Altmer stopped when he made it to a large hut, then leaned inside with a sigh.

"Any sign of Vilkas?"

The Imperial cringed as Aicantar only shook his head. "There's a bunch of random clutter in here. Some fish, old tools, stuff like that."

"Shit, shit, shit," Valleri repeated. She rushed to the other side of the cavern to look down the next tunnel. Unsurprisingly, the only light was the soft glow from the mushrooms. The Falmer were far gone by now. "Something probably happened to him by now."

"He's smart. Vilkas is probably fine."

"It doesn't matter how smart you are here. One wrong move…" Valleri trailed off. She turned back to Aicantar. The Altmer was now poking around at the walls. "Is there another tunnel?"

"Give me a moment," Aicantar mumbled. He held his hand up and once again, the cavern was lit up with white light. Valleri's eyes were no longer straining in the dark. She spun around, eyes searching for any other tunnels carved into the rock. Finally, Valleri paused when she caught sight of another passage. Aicantar perked up, "That way?"

"Well, we're not going in the other tunnel. As soon as those Falmer decide to turn around, we wouldn't make it. At least this way there's less of a chance that'll happen."

"Great, but we don't know what's down that way either."

Valleri narrowed her eyes, "We have to go somewhere, Aicantar."

"I know," the Altmer sighed. He trudged over to the Imperial. "Just promise we'll stop soon."

"I'll try my best, Aicantar."

The Altmer grumbled to himself as he dispelled his light. The cavern we dark again for a moment before Valleri's eyes readjusted to the soft glow of the mushrooms. Tentatively, Valleri entered the narrow tunnel, hand running down the cave wall for guidance.

The tunnel wound steadily downwards a few hundred feet before it leveled out and the tunnel narrowed. The Imperial paused. It wasn't as though the tunnel stopped. They could keep going. But it felt cut off from the rest of the cave system. She sighed and turned back to Aicantar, "We'll rest up here."

"Sounds good to me."

Valleri squeezed through the tunnel only to pause at the threshold of another cavern. Aicantar rammed into her, and Valleri continued to stare in disbelief.

In the middle of the room, a large winged insect was attacking a human figure. The figure was moving with sloppy, drastic movements, wounded and tired. Valleri narrowed her eyes. That armor looked familiar.

"Shit!"

Valleri rushed between the insect and Vilkas. With a yell, she knocked the strange attacker out of the air. It landed with a thud, but only a moment passed before it scuttled towards her feet. Panicked, Valleri pushed Vilkas further away before kicking the insect into the far wall. She watched in horror as the thing screeched and crawled off into the darkness, leaving a trail of yellow goo behind.

She turned around to face Vilkas. The Nord mustered a tired smirk and gave Valleri's hair a ruffle. Valleri narrowed her eyes, "What the fuck happened?"

"I have no idea," Vilkas shrugged. "I went in after Aicantar and got stuck in a nest of chaurus. I've been at it for a while now. What happened to you two?"

Valleri stayed silent for a moment, sighing. "Doesn't matter. We're alive."

"For now. We've gotta go," Aicantar mumbled as he started backing up from the first tunnel. "They know we're here."

Vilkas perked up, "The Falmer? What in oblivion did you two do?"

Screeches and heavy footfalls came from the tunnel. They came closer and closer with each passing second. Valleri glimpsed a pale white arm coming from the gloom. Without thinking, she took a hold of her friends and sprinted to the next tunnel. The sound of the pursuing mob were deafening now.

Up ahead, the Imperial spotted a large, menacing fence blocking their path. Tall spikes towered unevenly, obscuring the view beyond. Valleri paused for a moment, unsure what to do. The Falmer were closing in. Valleri watched in surprise as Aicantar yelled and charged the fence. The Altmer vaulted upwards, grabbing hold of the top of the spikes and waited for the others to follow. Valleri and Vilkas exchanged a hurried glance as the Falmer came in to view. Vilkas said nothing as he climbed the fence. Instead of following, Valleri froze. The Falmer were coming right up on her.

"Valleri what are you doing?'

The Imperial looked up to meet Vilkas' outstretched hand. She smirked and took it, bracing her foot on of the ledges of the fence. Valleri looked back for only a moment. The Falmer stopped shy of the fence and stared at her is what could have been disbelief. They chittered briefly before one of the Falmer screamed and signaled for a retreat. A wave of victory washed over the Imperial as she jumped to the other side of the fence. She watched for another moment before following Aicantar and Vilkas in to the next cave.

…

Vilkas wasn't sure what to make of the next cavern. The frightened reactions of the Falmer made him expect the worst. Anything could have been waiting for them. But there was nothing.

The Nord paused, scanning the cave for anything suspicious. A winding path led down to a pond at the back of the cavern before heading to an upper ledge. If he looked close enough, Vilkas made out the shape of another shrine. Lining the path were more mushrooms, standing twenty feet high in all their glowing glory. Purple moss covered the stems, and blue bell-shaped flowers grew at the bases.

Tearing his eyes away from the view, Vilkas saw his friends. Aicantar was about ready to collapse. His limbs hung low while his back arched forwards. Valleri ambled after them, distracted by their surroundings, but the exhaustion was obvious.

To his own credit, Vilkas wasn't fairing any better. Beyond the soreness that seemed to seep into his shoulders and back, Vilkas was banged up badly. His time in the chaurus nest didn't go smoothly. The insects descended upon him before Vilkas realized what was happening. Valleri's arrival was short of miraculous. He didn't even want to entertain the thought of what might have happened had she not shown up.

For now, he waited as the other two came closer. "We're stopping here for a while," he muttered. Aicantar perked up with a relieved grin.

Valleri narrowed her eyes as she spoke up, "Why not go a little farther? I'm sure the cave ends soon."

"It's been hours, Val. We need to stop."

The Imperial scowled and stared at the ground for a moment. Vilkas watched as she glanced up to the way shrine. Finally, Valleri's mouth twisted into a slight frown, "Sounds fine. It's fine. I'm just gonna have a look around."

Vilkas stepped to the side of path, letting Valleri walk by. He and Aicantar watched Valleri wordlessly for a moment before they turned to finding a half decent camping spot. The Nord gestured to a ledge. Aicantar groaned but trudged over anyway. Vilkas' arms burned as he gave the Altmer a life up to the edge.

"Vilkas!"

Aicantar's expression melted into exasperation, "She's found something."

"Probably," the Nord sighed, "I'll go look. Make sure she's okay."

"Hurry back, will you? This place is creepy as fuck."

Nodding his head, Vilkas shot the Altmer a smug smirk. His eyes were closing shut as he followed the path leading to the shrine. He honestly hoped Valleri wouldn't have been as curious as she was. Maybe driven was the right word? Valleri was waiting for Vilkas at the top of the hill with crossed arms.

"What happened?"

Valleri clicked her tongue, "We're not the only ones here."

"I thought the Falmer would have been memorable."

"Sure they were," Valleri said with a dry laugh. She rolled her eyes as she led Vilkas to the entrance of the shrine. "More footprints, another open portal." Vilkas' eyes darted from the prints back to Valleri. He breathed in deep, noting the angry glint in her eye. He didn't have to guess what she was thinking. Valleri shook her head, "You know he was here. We both do."

"I know." Vilkas narrowed his eyes with a tilt of his head, "Hey, Val?"

She hummed, eyes glued to the shrine. "Yeah?"

"We need to stop. We're all going to hit a wall."

Valleri turned to face him, eyes wide, "What?"

The Nord shook his head again, exasperated smile growing on his face. "Come on, we need to sleep." He grabbed onto Valleri's hand to make sure she followed him back down the hill. Valleri kept looking back. "Something wrong?"

"We won't be stuck here too long, will we?"

Vilkas paused, saying nothing. He saw Aicantar in the distance, starting a fire on the rock ledge. Valleri's eyes bore into the back of Vilkas' neck, making the Nord's anxiety spike. "We won't. Just enough to recover a bit."

"Right. We still have to make sure you're still holding up okay. It'd be a shame if you lose your arm or something on this trip."

He saw Valleri grinning widely now. She was doing better, at least. He focused on that rather than Cyrenial's supposed footprints up the hill. Cyrenial was the last thing he wanted to think about. For the moment, Vilkas could pretend things weren't as dreary as they seemed.


	67. Chapter 67

Valleri smiled as she stared up out of the hole the trio now found themselves in. Morning sunlight was sparse as a dense fog seemed to settle on the ground above them. Despite the lack of warm light, the fresh air dispelled the damp, musty feeling on the Imperial's face. She breathed in deep as Aicantar and Vilkas exited the portal behind her.

"Oh! Thank gods we're not in another cave," the Altmer mumbled behind her. Valleri only hummed in agreement. Aicantar stole a look at the Nord behind him, "And none of us got lost this time."

"I didn't get lost, Aicantar. I was separated on the whims of some old portal. Not lost. A very important distinction."

"Is it though?" Aicantar paused, looking up. "Valleri?"

"Yeah?"

"You okay there?"

"Fine. Just happy we're out of the caves."

"I just hope this where we were supposed to end up," The Nord added from under his breath. His face twisted into suspicion as he stared up. Vilkas scoffed, arching an eyebrow, "I also get the feeling we're gonna get ambushed down here."

Furrowing her eyebrows, Valleri tilted her head questioningly. "By what, though?" She paused and laughed, "I've never seen a Falmer outside. I wouldn't think they'd leave now."

"Valid point, but something could just be waiting up there with rocks or spears or something," Vilkas continued.

Valleri and Aicantar exchanged a concerned glance as the three of them didn't move from the middle of the hole. She crossed her arms and glanced back up, waiting for anything from above. Several long seconds passed while they waited. Soon enough, Valleri couldn't hold back chuckles.

Vilkas narrowed his eyes with confusion. "What's so funny?"

"Nothing! I just half expected something to actually fall down!"

"My point went unproved."

The Imperial grinned, "It did!"

"Hey," Aicantar started, "You two seem like you're fun for the first time in a while, but we gotta go. We have things to do, right?"

An imaginary weight rested back onto Valleri's shoulders. She turned back to Aicantar with a frown. He had a point. With a sigh, Valleri walked past him towards a small tunnel in the rock face on the far side of the hole. The tunnel ran steeply upwards, curved around the face of the hole. Rolling her eyes, she led Vilkas and Aicantar up.

Wind buffeted her as Valleri stepped out onto solid ground. She reveled in the feeling, pausing once again to feel fresh air on her face. Water droplets clung to her arms and neck, draining the Imperial of any humid heat left over from the cave. This was loads more refreshing than the nap on the cave floor.

Spinning again, Valleri gestured to the side of the hole, "See? There was nothing here to ambush us, Vilkas."

The Nord smirked as he came out into the open. "Just you wait. There's gonna be Falmer out here." Vilkas said nothing further and let Aicantar pass. He squinted into the fog surrounding fog. "Where are we supposed to go now?"

"No idea," Valleri answered with a faulty grin. She gave the area a cursory scan. They were in a valley, still touched by the remnants of winter. Brown shrubbery and dirty snow were underfoot. "Your guess would be just as good as mine. It'll be easier to get our bearings once the fog clears though"

"Should we stay here for then and not risk getting lost or something?"

Valleri shook her head, "No, we should go. We don't know what this place looks like and I'd rather not waste time we don't have." There was a lengthy pause while Vilkas and Aicantar stared back at her. The Nord arched an eyebrow questioningly, making Valleri grumbled. She attempted another smile and waved him off, "We have to go."

The Imperial didn't wait for either of her friends to answer before moving on. She felt the both of them staring back at her, making the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. It took almost all of her willpower not to look back. They could come if they wanted to. That was up to them.

The fog receded the further Valleri walked. Slowly, she could make out the sides of the valley and the left-over ruins of ancient buildings. Icicles hung from crags in the rock. The presence of ice didn't bode well. Valleri took in a deep breath. She made one last push up the hill, then paused.

In front of her was a vast canyon with a river coursing through the bottom. On both sides, ridges rose hundreds of feet above Valleri. She stole a glance up and down. It didn't look as though there was any way to get to the other side.

In another moment, she heard footsteps coming from behind her. Spinning on her heel, Valleri came face to face with Vilkas and Aicantar approaching. Studying them for a second, Valleri noted the begrudging exasperation on the Nord's face. Aicantar only looked increasingly worried. Valleri gestured to the surrounding scenery. "See? It's fine."

"It's a lot bigger than I expected," the Altmer muttered.

"Yeah, a map would have been nice though."

Valleri's smile faltered as she laughed dryly. "You can say that again. But well… This place can't be that complicated."

Narrowing his eyes, Vilkas glanced down the ravine. "Right. One wrong move and it's over."

The Imperial's stomach dropped thinking about falling into the river below. She gulped and recomposed herself. Valleri spent the winter in Skyrim. A bit of snow ice was nothing anymore. Stealing a glance down the canyon again, Valleri thinking to herself. The ridge steadily went upwards with an ill-defined path running through the middle. Every hundred feet, pillars of white stone covered in ice rose out of the snow.

"At least there's an actual path. "

Again, Valleri heard Aicantar grumble behind her. Vilkas, much to her surprise, was silent and waited for the others to walk in front of him.

It wasn't long before they made over the top of the first ridge. Valleri paused again to survey from their new position. The path went down, switch backing every few feet before reaching the bottom of the ravine. Eventually, the path disappeared underneath them and Valleri couldn't make anything else out. She waved Vilkas over and the Nord approached with a grumble.

"What's out there?"

Valleri frowned, "I dunno. That's why I'm asking you. You've got better eyes"

Vilkas glared at her for a moment before staring down the path. His eyes narrowed for a split second before he took another few steps further down. Shaking his head, Vilkas turned back to the Imperial. "Can't make anything out except for some rocks and the rest of the river."

"Any way to get across?"

"No, it just follows the edge." Valleri's eyes darted backwards, looking back up the hill in front of them. The afternoon sun was bright Valleri had to squint to see anything. Still, something caught her eye. Vilkas spoke again from behind her, voice tired, "It might just be easier to continue this way."

"Hey do you mind waiting for a moment though?"

Valleri knitted his eyebrows in confusion. "Val? Where are you going?" he called out when the Imperial sprinted up the hill. She rushed past Aicantar. He cursed as she almost knocked him over. Snow crunched underfoot as she scrambled higher and higher. Her feet sunk into the snow as soon as she put weight onto the icy crust, making her almost trip once or twice.

Out of breath, Valleri stopped at the top of the hill. She spun around, facing the ravine again, and scanned the rest of the valley. Bright light illuminated a structure in the distance, carved into the mountain. A frozen lake sat still under the ruins. Valleri eyes moved across the landscape one more time. At one end of the canyon was the bridge they were looking for, crossing over at the edge of the river. The current at the bottom flowed mercilessly further until it fell into a hole and Valleri couldn't see anything beyond that.

"Valleri!"

The familiar voice made the Imperial turn around. "I'm up here!"

"what the hell was that about?" Vilkas scoffed.

"I just… I thought I saw something."

"That's no excuse, though. You nearly knocked Aicantar off the cliff."

Valleri's eyes went wide as she looked back to the Altmer. "Oh fuck! Sorry about that. You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," Aicantar mumbled. He moved closer to the ledge, "This was actually an excellent idea though. You can see everything from up here."

"I thought so too."

Vilkas clicked his tongue. "It would have been nice to know what you were doing."

"I know. I'm sorry."

"What caught your eye though?"

The Imperial grimaced, "I thought I saw movement up here. At least I didn't come up here for nothing."

"Right," Vilkas muttered with a sigh. "Now we gotta go back to the bottom."

Valleri stole one last glance at the building on the mountainside before following her friends. The hairs on the back of her neck stood up suddenly and Valleri stopped in her tracks. She slowly looked up from the ground and stared at Vilkas and Aicantar in front of her. A mixture of horror and shock filled their expressions.

Valleri barely had the will to look behind her. Slowly, she made out the shape of a lumbering giant, taller than a house. The figure blocked out the sun behind it and cast a grim shadow over the group of travelers. Still, Valleri could make out three glistening eyes and icy horns crowning its head.

The giant screamed once before bringing a heavy bone club down on the area between Valleri and the others. There was a split second of respite when the giant repositioned its club into the air above its head.

Vilkas was already drawing his sword when Valleri yelled at him, voice raw. "Run! Just run! I'll meet you at the bridge!"

Valleri cringed, teeth clenching together in pain, when the club came down again. This time it was too close for comfort, and Valleri found herself closer to the ledge of the ravine than she felt comfortable with. In the periphery of her vision, Valleri could see the river rushing below.

Aicantar was pulling at Vilkas' arm as the Nord only stared at her with concern.

"Just go!" Valleri screamed again.

The two of them ran off down the hill again and the giant screamed. Suddenly, the giant tore off running after them. Disoriented, Valleri felt herself go dizzy and she let go of the rocks keeping her stead. Without warning, she slid down the cliff face with no control. Immediately, the Imperial could feel rocks dragging across her back.

After a few horrifying moments, Valleri could get a grip on the side of an open crag. She made a desperate attempt to even her breathing. Satisfied she was fine, Valleri took a more controlled descent down, gripping for dear life on any ledges she could. It felt like an eternity before the Imperial's feet hit solid ground.

Taking one last look at the river right in front of her, Valleri took a deep, shaky breath in. Her eyes shut tight as she laid down on the ground in a fetal position.

…

Valleri stared absentmindedly at the water in front of her. Her arms and legs burned from her slide down the rock face. But it was nothing like the long scratch on her neck and back. She wasn't sure if it bled under her jerkin and cloak, and she was too tired and cold to check.

After a moment of waiting, Valleri splashed some glacial water into her face and rubbed as much dirt off her skin as she could muster. The sudden cold seemed to shock the Imperial into lucidity. She shook her hands dry before standing up to see Vilkas and Aicantar coming down the small footpath.

Valleri could barely make out Vilkas' expression in the dimming light, but she was sure he was concerned. His pace quickened as she walked to meet them. The Imperial mustered a faulty smile. "I thought that giant would have made a meal of you two."

Vilkas arched an eyebrow. "How the fuck did you get down here?"

He groaned when Valleri averted her eyes with a lopsided smile. "I climbed down. What happened to the giant?"

"We lost him at the turn. Went right past us," Aicantar spoke up from the back. He hobbled over to the others. "We should stop. It's getting dark again."

"I couldn't agree more." The Nord crossed his arms and turned back to Valleri. The Imperial shrugged wordlessly. Vilkas took it as a sign they were staying on the bank for the night. Aicantar only needed a few seconds to start the fire . The blaze stood out against the night sky. Fortunately, the craggy side of the ravine kept them protected and Vilkas was sure nothing could spot them from above.

At least the giant wouldn't find them.

Valleri's eyes kept darting to the set of ruins above them. She could barely make them out in the dark, but the image was burned into her memory. She heard bits and pieces of Vilkas and Aicantar's conversation in the periphery and she tried to answer the best she could. Still, her mind would drift away.

Soon enough the fire died down and the other two seemed to fade away into unconsciousness. Valleri, exhausted and sore, laid next to Vilkas. Her back was scrunched against the rock face. The longer she tried to sleep, the more her back burned. The Imperial shut her eyes tight, willing herself to sleep. Visions of the ruins above them haunted her. With a groan, Valleri sat up.

She looked down at Vilkas next to her. He was fast asleep, snoring. Aicantar seemed equally oblivious, sleeping across from the fire pit. Slowly, Valleri stepped over Vilkas, stretching as she got up. Confident they were still both asleep, she made her way down the path.

A small weight lifted as she stepped on the bridge crossing the river. The bridge was slick with ice, similar to the trail above. The lack of any railings filled the Imperial with anxiety.

Stopping, Valleri looked behind her when she heard yells and footsteps. In the distance, Vilkas was running after her, calling her name with concern. He stopped short of the bridge and stared at her for only a moment.

"Valleri! What are you doing?"

The Imperial gulped, "I couldn't wait. Not when I'm this close."

"What does that mean? We have all the time in the world to find that stupid necklace."

"We don't though!"

"Is this about Cyrenial?" Vilkas paused, rubbing his temples. "We don't even know if that's him."

"Exactly, we don't. If it is him, and he gets a hold of the necklace, we lose. I lose."

"Right. And the Thalmor reignite the Great War."

"You don't think that's horrible? That its not devastating?" Valleri scoffed, almost at a loss for words. "You never had to live those direct consequences before, Vilkas! You have no idea how much damage was done! Even to people who weren't even alive!"

The Nord's glare turned venomous. "Don't you dare tell me about the aftermath. Suffering isn't a contest." He breathed out shakily, regaining some composure, "Okay, okay. Say you do ahold get the necklace. What are you even supposed to do with it?"

Valleri took in a sharp breath, eyes widening. Her mind raced faster and faster the longer she waited. Finally, Valleri whispered with a raspy voice. "I have to take it back to Sedor. Figure out exactly what they were hiding there. That's what Alastaros wanted me to do."

"Do you actually mean Alastaros? Or is it just your own ego telling you to release what the Thalmor have been searching for?"

"What?" Valleri mumbled. Her face contorted into a frown. She saw Aicantar come up from nowhere, stopping next to Vilkas. The elf's eyes were uncharacteristically large and crazed. The look put her further off edge. Her eyes glanced down at the ground momentarily. "Are you suggesting I just destroy and forget all about what they hid away? Like what we did to Nchuand-Zel?"

"Maybe. I don't know. Is it worth risking your life for some weapon meant to further ruin people?"

"I can't just do that when I have no idea what's there!" Valleri yelled. Her blood was rushing to her head, making her face flush red despite the chill. "I can't just let years of my life be wasted like that!"

Valleri watched Vilkas' snarl fade into regret. The rage in her chest lessened for a moment as the silence between them persisted.

"Then don't decide now. Just… come back to us, Val."

The Nord's voice was soft and Valleri felt herself melt. Her eyes darted to the ground in front of her. She took in a deep breath before moving forwards.

Valleri barely noticed her foot catching on the ice below. Before she knew it, the Imperial was falling to the side, grasping at the air around her for support. It was an act of futility as she felt her feet land on nothing. Her finger tips brushed the edge of the bridge before slipping again.

Valleri caught one last glimpse of Vilkas and Aicantar rushing over before the river below sucked her in.


End file.
